Back To Kwitcherbeliakin
by Slyrr
Summary: A story about Team Probable, Kim Possible's evil mercenary opposites. This tale reveals what 'power' Rhonda Fatigable has to match Ron's MMP. Rhonda returns to Kamp Kwitcherbeliakin to find she is destined to become a priestess of the Great Bear Spirit.
1. Unforeseen Consequences

Back To Kwitcherbeliakin

A Stand-alone story featuring "Team Probable"

based in the world of Disney's Kim Possible

Kim Possible copyrighted by Disney, et. al.

Chapter 1

Unforeseen Consequences

Kim Possible sat in Bueno Nacho, her fingers enveloped in the warm cocoon of Ron's hand. They were both looking dreamily into each other's eyes. Kim used her other hand to gently trace her fingertips over the back of Ron's hand.

'_Love you_.' she said silently, exaggerating the movements of her lips without speaking.

Ron smiled back to her, a dazed look on his face. _'Love Nacos.'_ he mouthed back. She scowled very softly, but melted as Ron's other hand found hers and began a series of soothing caresses. _'Love you more.'_ he mouthed. She leaned into him, laying her head in his shoulder, a wash of euphoria creeping over her.

Ned looked over at their table from behind the counter and sighed, shaking his head. It wasn't so much the constant PDAs that Kim and Ron engaged in which annoyed him as much as the fact that they would sometimes spend hours sitting in the booth just _looking_ at each other, long after their meals were finished. It slowed down floor traffic with both of them tying up a booth that could be used to serve more customers.

Luckily, he had never had to shoo them away. Someone else frequently did it for him. And right on schedule, Bonnie walked by after finishing her own meal, looking at Kim and Ron with an exasperated grimace.

'Do you losers even realize that the sun is up and people can _see_ you?' she said. 'You could at least use the invisibility thing in that weird suit of yours so no one else has witness the toxicity!'

Ron and Kim glanced at Bonnie as if she were something mundane, like a phone ringing or a door knocking, that was pulling them back to reality from someplace much more pleasant. 'Walk me home?' she said softly, feathering her hand across his chin.

'Mmmm-hmmm.' Ron nodded, his eyes vacant. He stood up and bowed, holding out his hand with a flourish. Kim let him pull her up and escort her to the door, feeling like a princess being shown to a ballroom. Bonnie watched with a scowl as Ron opened the door for her, and they exited arm in arm.

'Uuuugh!' Bonnie said, clenching her hands and shaking her head. 'They are so _vile!_'

Ron and Kim walked down the street, holding hands. 'College forms back yet?' she said, not really interested in his answer, just in hearing his voice.

'A few.' he said. 'How about you?'

'Ditto.' she answered. 'I've really enjoyed these last few days, Ron.' she said sincerely.

'Double-ditto.' he said. There hadn't been as many missions lately, so Kim and Ron had been able to enjoy some quality time together. 'Can't help wondering why things have been so quiet, though.'

Kim had her suspicions. 'That thing with the Mega Synaptic Transducer probably has something to do with it.' she said. 'Almost every major bad guy got hit pretty hard when everyone turned evil. Normal citizens trying to take _them_ over for a change. And there were a lot who just turned themselves into prison while the Transducer was on.'

Ron chuckled, remembering how in court Aviarius had demanded to be released because he hadn't really _meant_ to give up. It had been a few weeks since the return of Zorpox. But that was all over. The Transducer was destroyed, and Team Probable was nowhere to be found. 'Who'd have thought some good would actually come out of all that?' he said.

'Good and evil had a weirdness overload that day.' she said. The memories were still painful. She had never come so close to despair. But once it was over, the villainage had dropped to nearly zero. They were probably still fixing their damaged lairs, or cooking up new schemes. She had Wade keeping a finger on things, but so far none of her major foes had made a move.

'I guess sometimes even the bad guys need a vacation.' Ron said.

'If they try anything, we're all over them.' she said. 'But for now... let's just enjoy the time we have.'

Kim held his hand tightly. What villains did in _their_ off-time she didn't know, and didn't want to know, unless it involved the cops jumping them and hauling them off to prison. Shego's banter about Midas had been way too much information for her liking. Though bringing up the Transducer caused her mind to wonder about Grimm Probable. He had come within a hair's breadth of breaking them up, and it was only Ron's good heart that had thwarted him. She wondered very briefly where he was now, and if he was planning anything else...

Far from Middleton, a blonde-haired girl sat on a stool in a dimly lit room. The room had sports posters mixed in with a collection of pictures of various people on the wall. Dr. Director from Global Justice, Team Impossible, pictures of Team Go members, and also Kim Possible. Each photo had a number of darts sticking in them.

Rhonda Fatigable looked nervously at the auburn-haired teenage boy beside her. His athletic frame seemed tense, like a spring waiting be released. Grimm Probable was tapping his foot on the floor, staring at his computer screen.

'Still nothing?' she said.

'No.' he answered.

She sighed. 'Why so worried? We running out of money or something?'

A quick smile flashed across Grimm's lips before vanishing. 'Money's not an issue. I'm just _bored_.'

Rhonda sat quietly again. Ever since their caper in Middleton, business had dropped to almost nothing. Rhonda didn't mind the breather, but Grimm had grown steadily more pent-up with every day that passed without a mission. She saw his finger straying to a key on his keyboard. 'Don't do it!' she said. 'If there was anything, she'd have called us...'

But Grimm had already hit the key. A window popped up, and a young girl with an Asian complexion stared out at them, her rainbow-streaked hair hanging in neat strands around her pretty face. 'Jade, is there any...' he started.

'For the bazillionth time, _no_!' she broke in, sounding irritated. 'Jeez Grimm, you just called two _minutes_ ago...'

Grimm sighed. 'Jade, there must be _something_. All those villains out there, and _none_ of them are looking for help?' Jade grumbled, shaking her head. Grimm stared keenly at her. 'You're not holding out on purpose, are you? Are you still miffed about the Transducer thing?'

Jade's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. Grimm shook his head. 'I _said_ I was sorry.' he said, his voice mingled annoyance with exasperation. 'But Ron didn't tell us what the bracelets were for until a few seconds before he turned on the Transducer. Besides, I thought you _liked_ the bundt cake.'

'Cake was fine.' Jade said, nodding her head slightly from side to side and speaking in a sing-song voice like a kid teasing someone in a schoolyard.

'Come on Jade, how long are you gonna hold it against us? I didn't hold it against you when you helped Kim Possible and sent all those villains to fight against us...'

'Which I wouldn't have done if I'd _had_ a bracelet...'

'Jade!'

'All right, _fine_.' she said. 'I promise I'm not holding out on you. There just isn't anything that would interest you.'

'Try me.' said Grimm, eagerly.

Jade stared at him. 'OK, here are the details. Nearly half of the free villains in the world turned themselves in while the Transducer was on-line. Not only that, they felt so guilty about their past crimes that they set things up so that they couldn't escape in case they turned evil again.'

'But the guards running the prisons were evil because of the Transducer. They must have turned them loose...' Grimm said, but Jade cut her off.

'They did. But they stayed in voluntarily.'

'Then there must be someone on the inside who wants a jailbreak now...'

'None who could afford the fee.' said Jade, shaking her head. 'They also gave back all the money they ever stole before they turned themselves in. Unless you want to work for _free_...' she said, letting her voice trail off knowingly.

'Next.' said Grimm, frowning.

'All the villains who are still on the loose - Dr. Drakken, Killigan, the Seniors, are busy trying to rebuild their infrastructure. Most of them tried giving back all of _their_ money too, and now they're scrambling to get it back. The others are going full-time just trying to get their bases and lairs back in order. Right now, the only 'help' they want are construction workers.'

Grimm tented his fingers in front of him, resting his elbows on the computer desk. 'Two possibilities.' he said. 'One, they're cheesed off at me for helping Ron make the Transducer and I've been blackballed...'

'Not really.' said Jade, her expression softening. 'They all said it was a brilliant scheme and wished they'd thought of it.'

'And two, they're cheesed off that we fought _against_ them in the warehouse and I've been blackballed.'

'See above.' Jade answered. 'They don't blame you for turning them good - they're saving that for Ron. And they were more embarrassed that they wound up helping Kim than they were mad at us for starting the ball rolling in the first place.'

Grimm frowned. 'So they're really...'

'Just not hiring at the moment.' said Jade, shaking her head. 'Don't worry GP - they'll be back. Until then, do something to relax. I suggest sending me another bundt cake.'

'You rock, Jade.' he said, his voice flat and disappointed.

'There's something else.' Jade said, and her voice had an apprehensive edge to it. 'I've been keeping an eye on things in Middleton like you asked.'

Grimm looked curious. 'And...?'

'Kim and Ron were seen making goo-goo eyes at each other in Bueno Nacho. Just thought you should know.' The window containing her face on the computer screen closed with a blip.

Grimm frowned slightly. 'Unbelievable.' he said. 'I really thought Stoppable would dump Kim over that business with the chip. What a total _doormat_.'

Rhonda put her chin in her hands. 'Or maybe they really love each other.' she mumbled.

Grimm shook his head. 'Oh_ please_.' he said. Then he sighed. 'Well, they're more fun to hassle when they're together anyway.'

Rhonda came up behind him and put her hands on his shoulders, massaging him gently. 'Well, let's take a clue from them for a change. We've actually got some down-time now. Let's relax and enjoy it while it lasts...'

Grimm shook his head. 'No time for love, babe.'

'What are you _talking_ about?' Rhonda sputtered, incredulous. 'We got nothing _but_ time! Look, you just said you were _bored_!'

'If we're on down-time, then it means Possible and her crew are as well.' Grimm said, starting to gather up various martial arts accroutements, including hand tape, a karate gi and a bo staff. 'We gave Kim a taste of what it's like to have Ron's Mystical Monkey Power turned against her. Which means it'll probably enter her head to start it working _for_ her. If she's got even half a brain, she'll start pushing him to train and to tap into his power.'

'So?' said Rhonda, sulkily.

Grimm stared at her, his face darkened. 'So?' he said. 'You saw what he was capable of when we turned him evil. I don't even want to _know_ what it'll be like fighting his Monkey Power now that he's good again. We're gonna have to step up our game if we want to stay level with Team Possible now. We can't afford any dead weight.'

Rhonda bit her lip at his words, but tried again. 'Come on.' she said. 'We played them like fiddles in that last mission. We rattled their cage so bad they'd be scared to death if we turned up again.' She poured it on, trying to persuade him. She really wanted to just relax with Grimm for a while, to just spend time with him, but she could tell by looking at his face that it was no use.

Grimm shook his head. 'We got some good digs in on Possible, but the fallout has turned into a disaster for us in terms of business. I kind of wish I hadn't turned Ron loose like that now - but at the time it was _so _worth it.' he smiled and glanced over at the photo of Kim Possible on the wall, which Rhonda had taken when Kim learned exactly how Grimm had played her. 'I'm off to the training yard.' he said, hoisting his equipment. 'You coming?'

Rhonda looked away from him. 'In... in a while.' she said softly.

Grimm was heading for the door. 'All right.' he said. 'But I'm writing up a new schedule for both of us. You're on two hours practice a day from now on - and I think you know what'll happen if you chintz on your time!'

Rhonda shuddered, remembering his 'Super-Soaker' treatment of drenching her with ice water from a squirt gun when she least expected it, every hour on the hour until she got in her training time. 'I...' she started, but Grimm had already left and closed the door behind him.

She sat quietly for a while, then sighed, turned off Grimm's computer and left.

Later, Rhonda sat on one of the swings on a swing set in a playground. Across the way was the pre-school building. It was the same playground where she and Grimm had met in Pre-K and become friends. The swing set was older now, and squeaked mournfully as she moved softly a few inches backwards and forwards. Rueful sat draped around her shoulders, breathing softly and looking at her.

She looked around, her eyes falling on a bare patch of pavement with four white lines painted into it, forming a subdivided square. The lines were faded now, and unbidden memories flashed into her mind.

_'Hey freckle-face!'_ _A four-year old Rhonda stood cringing before a semi-circle of other girls, her hands trembled around the four-square ball she had been playing with. The ringleader, a red-haired girl with a puggish face grinned with the satisfied look of a predator who knows they have their victim cornered._

_'W...what do you want?' Rhonda said, shuddering. It was her first day in Pre-K, and she had felt the first feelings of discomfort when she had said her name to the class at the teachers bidding. The other girls who now confronted her had giggled softly at their tables._

_'That's a FOUR-square ball!' said the pug-faced girl, and the others nodded. 'Not a one-square ball! Quit hogging it, fatty!'_

_'I'm not fat!' said Rhonda sadly._

_'Oh yeah?' said another girl, a darker-haired one with a lispy voice. 'Then why are you named FATigable? Huh, fatty?'_

_'Leave me alone.' she said miserably, feeling tears welling in her eyes. But she still trembled, paralyzed with fear for she was outnumbered and knew that she couldn't stand up to all of them._

_'What are you gonna do?' said the leader, stepping forward. 'You gonna cry all over us?'_

_'I... I've got an imaginary friend.' she said desperately. 'And he's HUGE, so you better back off!'_

_The girls laughed, some cowering in mock fear, and then they all advanced. They wrestled the ball from Rhonda's hands, pushing her to the ground. 'Rueful!' she screamed._

_'You heard her - leave her alone!' said a voice behind them._

_The girls turned around, and Rhonda peered through them. She saw an auburn-haired boy, who stood staring at them with a grim expression, his hazel eyes gleaming._

_The pug-faced girl scowled, then looked back at Rhonda. 'This is your imaginary friend?' she said. 'He's not so huge!'_

_'I'm not imaginary.' he said, his lips curling into a smirk. 'Want to see?' He leaped forward and in a blur of motion, he circled through the whole clutch of girls with a foot sweep, knocking all of them to the ground. The ball flew out of the leader's hands and the boy neatly caught it, spinning it on his finger._

_Rhonda gaped at him, her mouth falling open. 'Wow...' she said._

_The girls sat up, groaning. The dark-haired one said, 'I skinned my belbow...'_

_The boy tossed the ball over his shoulder without looking and it landed in Rhonda's lap. 'She'll give you the ball to you when she's done.' he said. 'Until then you four-SQUARES can go play somewhere else!'_

_The girls got up and ran to other parts of the playground, casting dark looks at him and Rhonda._

_'T...thanks.' said Rhonda, taking the boy's hand as he reached down and pulled her up. She felt a sudden desire to save face in front of him and said, 'But... I think Rueful could have handled them.'_

_The boy laughed. 'You're weird.' he said. 'But I like weird. My name's Grimm.'_

_'I'm Rhonda.' she answered, and felt a warm blush in her cheeks that she didn't understand. She added hastily. 'Is... school always gonna be like this?' she held the ball in her hands, looking down and wondering when the next clutch of bullies would show up._

_Grimm laughed. 'You're worried they'll come back when I'm not here, aren't you?' he said, and Rhonda gasped, feeling like he had read her thoughts. 'Let me share a secret with you.' he said. 'Bullies can be scary, but they don't like to work too hard for their victims. If the person they go after is too much trouble, they'll usually look for someone else. You just have to let 'em know that you're not gonna be an easy target!'_

_He turned and made a scary face, lunging towards the pug-faced girl, who was still staring at them through the monkey bars. 'RRRRRRRR!' he snarled. The girl flinched and stepped back, bumping into the bars behind her. Grimm turned around, paying no more attention to her. 'You see? You just need to show them you won't go down easy. If they think they can get away with it, they'll keep coming back.'_

_Rhonda dug the ground with her toe. 'But... what if they hit me? I don't want to get hit...' she said miserably. _

_'Just remember they don't want to get hit either.' said Grimm, shrugging. 'That's why they keep going after the ones who don't stand up to them. You might get a bruise or two - but they'll know you're not afraid. And no bully likes that.'_

_'You're smart.' said Rhonda, smiling faintly. 'Will... will you be my friend?'_

_'Only if you'll be mine.' he answered, smiling._

_The rest of the day went much better. She had a lot of fun playing on the swings and in the sandbox with Grimm. For some reason, Grimm kept asking to play 'ninja'. Rhonda had trouble at first, but he patiently showed her some of his moves so she could keep up with him. Later in the afternoon Grimm's parents came to pick him up and she waved good-bye to him through the window as his car drove away._

_'Hey, fatty!' came a voice behind her. Rhonda felt a chill, and saw the four girls from the playground were there, scowling at her. Rhonda looked around for the teacher, but she was helping students put their things away in the other room. She wondered briefly if bullies had some kind of magic power that made teachers ignore them. 'Looks like your boyfriend left you all alone!'_

_'He's not my boyfriend!' Rhonda said, shuddering. 'He's... my friend... who's also a boy.'_

_The dark-haired girl rubbed the bandage on her elbow. 'Yeah, well he's not here now, fatty!'_

_'Stop calling me that.' said Rhonda, her fear slowly giving way to a warmer feeling of anger._

_'What are you gonna do about it?' said the pug-faced girl. 'Sic your imaginary friend on us?'_

_'No.' she said. Then she pointed up behind them. 'I'm gonna sic the teacher on you!'_

_The girls looked around behind them, but the teacher was still in the other room. Then they suddenly all fell to the floor, squealing as they slammed into the mats after Rhonda dropped down and swept her leg in a wide circle, just like Grimm had showed her._

_She sprang up and stared down at them. 'Booyah!' she shouted. 'And where do you lard-balls get off telling me that I'm fat?' The three other girls looked cowed, for Rhonda was right - they were all heavier set than she was. But the pug-faced leader got up and lashed out with a punch. Rhonda took it in the shoulder, but it didn't hurt all that much. She punched back, taking another hit, but managed to force her back down onto the mat._

_'RRRRRR!' she snarled, and all four of them flinched. At that moment, the teacher came back into the room. She immediately sensed trouble and looked over at them. 'Play nice, girls!' she said. 'Or you're all on time out!'_

_Rhonda stared down at them with a satisfied 'hmph.' Her parents had arrived to pick her up, and she went over to them. _

_'Hello dear.' said her mother. 'Did you make any new friends?'_

_'There was a boy named Grimm.' she said enthusiastically. 'He was really nice. Do you think he'll be back here tomorrow?'_

_Her father laughed. 'Well, if his parents live in town, I'm pretty sure he will sweetheart.'_

_'Good.' she said. 'I think he and I are gonna be bestest friends...'_

Rhonda looked dolefully at the pre-school building which was darkened in the setting sun. Without daylight to show off the primary colored plastic of the playground equipment and the building interior, it all seemed gloomy and melancholy.

She had been best friends with Grimm since that day, following him everywhere, even after he'd set up his website on a lark to do odd jobs. She'd stuck with him nervously on his first job when a super-villain accidentally hit his website and hired him to help get control of his base again when his new security system had malfunctioned.

She'd seen the taste for thrill and excitement build in him as he kept getting more jobs, and she had done her best to keep pace with him, practicing with him, studying judo in an attempt to match his Tai Shing Pek Kwar.

Then they had met Team Possible, and somehow everything seemed to change. Not just because she and Grimm had started shipping, but because of Ron. She remembered her first confrontation with him, and how it had felt like she was fighting a shadowy reflection of herself.

Rhonda gripped the chains on the swing. _Doofus-boy_, she had called him. Kim Possible's clumsy, useless sidekick - just like she was Grimm's clumsy, useless sidekick. She had thought Ron was as much a hindrance and annoyance to Kim as she felt she was to Grimm. But in the last caper, Ron had turned into a dangerous monster.

She remembered how he had constructed so many devices - the Transducer, the Mega-bots, Grimm's battle-suit, the Feedback Modulator, the Mega Magnetic Manipulator, all in such a short amount of time it was frightening. And she thought of her own contributions to her missions with Grimm and felt a dark sting of jealous inadequacy. She had never built anything, let alone anything that _worked_.

She remembered Ron going toe to toe with Kim, using his Mystical Monkey Power; and how easily he had captured her with the Lotus Blade. She remembered Grimm's words when they'd first arrived in Middleton.

_'Stoppable is more dangerous than he looks. As good as I am at Tai Shing Pek Kwar, Ron Stoppable has the potential to defeat me.'_

Rhonda felt a sinking feeling in her gut. Deep down, even Grimm was scared of Ron. But was Kim scared of _her_? Even Rhonda couldn't fool herself into thinking that Kim had ever given her so much as a second thought in any of their confrontations. Ron was 'potential boy'. But she couldn't recall anyone ever calling her 'potential girl'.

_'Face it Rhonda - you're a joke.'_ she said to herself, her head drooping. What had she done in their last caper? Gotten beat up by Yori. Pushed buttons on a remote. What had she ever done in _any_ of her missions with Grimm besides screw things up and get in his way? A big, fat zero. She felt her eyes beginning to smart, a sure sign that tears were soon to follow. She sniffled, running the back of her hand across her nose. Rueful cocked his head to the side and let out a querying trill, confused by her sullen mood. And in the back of Rhonda's mind, a dark thought gave voice.

_'Maybe he'd be better off without you.'_

She gripped the chains even harder as the thought took root. And before she could stop it, she found herself thinking of excuses to give Grimm for quitting.

'Rhonda?'

She jumped slightly in the swing as Grimm's voice sounded behind her. She stood up and whirled around. He was standing looking at her, the setting sun lining him with an orange halo. He was dressed in his gi, and the tape on his hands was torn and frayed. His hair was unkempt, and he was covered with a thin sheen of sweat. Despite his disheveled appearance, she felt her knees going weak. He looked effortlessly magnificent as always.

'You didn't come to the training yard.' he said, a faint smirk on his face. 'Don't make me break out the super-soaker.'

'Sorry GP.' she said, turning away and sitting back down on the swing. 'I'm just not feeling the old magic today, y'know?'

Grimm stared at her. 'What's eating you?' he said, his voice a bit softer. He looked at Rueful, who was pointing at Rhonda surreptitiously and shaking his head.

'Nothing.' she said, wiping her nose quickly.

'Liar.' he said. 'You never come here unless something's bothering you. Talk to me.'

She looked down and away from him. She knew he'd eventually wheedle it out of her. 'I'm thinking of quitting.' she muttered.

For several minutes, Grimm said nothing. 'What brought _this_ on?' he said at last.

'Something I heard someone say about 'dead weight'.' she said.

There was more silence. Rhonda didn't look up, but she could practically feel Grimm's eyes boring into her.

'Well,' he said. 'If you've made up your mind, then there's no use me trying to talk you out of it - is there?'

Rhonda raised her head, feeling a chilling tingle of loss and sadness. He was giving up on her that easily? That could only mean he agreed with her. She felt a tightness in her chest, and tears welling up again. The silence spiraled out horribly and everything seemed to turn grey around her.

'Unless,' he went on at last, 'You _haven't _made up your mind yet, and you're telling me this because you want me to talk you out of it.'

Rhonda scowled. 'You are so _annoying_ when you look straight through people.' she said. 'Why do you always have to put a spike in the brain of anyone you're talking to?'

Grimm shrugged. 'It was either become a master at playing head games, or learn how to torture people with needles.' he said. 'I made my choice.'

'Izzat so?' Rhonda said, nodding. 'All right, fine. I'm feeling down because during our last mission all I did was play fetch and carry. It was all 'Ron' this, and 'Ron' that - everyone going on and on about how evil he was, how amazed they were with his inventions, his Monkey Power, and who knows what else...'

'And no one's ever gone on and on about you?' he said.

Rhonda bit her lip. Once again, he demonstrated his uncanny knack for cutting straight to the bone with a single sentence.

Grimm sighed. 'Come on, Rhonda.' he said. 'Fishing for compliments? Only fanfiction geeks do that. But if it helps, here you go. You faced down the whole Yamanouchi School twice. You got into Yori's head like a pro. And that Judo toss on Kim was a hoot to watch. I can tell you've been practicing...'

Rhonda blushed and looked down.

Grimm's smirk went back up. 'If you're really thinking about quitting, I'm sorry to hear it.' he said. 'Because something has come up that only _you_ can help with.'

She looked up again. 'What's... the sitch?' she said, raising an eyebrow.

'Jade called.' he said. 'We've got a mission.'

Rhonda smiled faintly. She should have known. Only the prospect of a mission could have gotten him so laid back and cheerful all of a sudden, compared to the near-funk he'd been in earlier.

'If a chance to step up and prove yourself is all you're angling for, then your wish is granted.' he said. 'It's not a huge mission, but the price is right, and the client has requested help from _you _specifically.'

'Who's the client?' she said, confused. She didn't know anyone outside of Grimm's circle of clients. 'And why _me_?'

'It's got something to do with your old camping days. You mentioned something about bears?'

Rhonda shuddered. 'Oh _yeah_. The whole summer I was at that darn camp they had me bunked up in the same cabin with their stupid mascot - a bear cub! Can you believe that? They actually put a _bear cub_ in the same cabin with me! Man, I wish the tort lawyers had gotten on their 'sue everybody' kick in those days, I could have nailed that camp to the wall!'

'Yeah yeah,' said Grimm, his voice going monotone. He'd spent so much time listening to her griping about her experience at summer camp that he had learned to tune it out. But he was trying to listen now, as the information might prove useful on the mission. 'But the mascot isn't part of this, at least I don't think it is. You also said something about some kind of statue?'

Rhonda groaned and put her face in her hands. 'The whole place was a menace! The troop I was in actually _ditched_ me in the woods! I spent hours wandering around, trying to find my way back and I wound up in this creepy hollow with an ugly old boulder shaped like a bear! And I don't care what anyone else tells you, I _swear _I heard someone whispering! I was so scared I couldn't move...!'

Grimm smiled again. 'For someone who was so paralyzed with fear, you sure ran back to camp fast enough...'

'You'd have freaked out too if you heard a rock _talking_ to you. I was just trying to fight back with my, uh, screams of courage.' she said weakly.

'It's the bear statue our client is interested in. He's some kind of expert in Native American artifacts and folklore. His name is Maze.'

'Mah... zay?' she said. 'Not mayze?'

'Yeah. He wants us - and by _us_ I mean _you_ - to guide him to this hollow so he can see the monument. Apparently you're the only one who's ever found it.'

'What?' said Rhonda, a cold chill spreading through her whole body. 'Guide him? As in _personally_? But that means...'

'Yep.' said Grimm, smirking. 'Pack some DEET, hot stuff. We're going to Kamp Kwitcherbeliakin.'

Rhonda's jaw fell open. Grimm took a paper from his belt pouch. 'We go this weekend. After so many years, I'm guessing your memory is foggy, so I'm not sure how long it will take you to actually lead us to the hollow.'

Rhonda's mouth remained wide open and gaping as Grimm kept talking. Rueful slithered under her chin and pushed her jaw shut.

'...I've had Jade go over their old nature hike schedules, trying to find out which squad you were part of, where they were walking, where they ditched you, and to calculate a search radius based on where a nine year old girl might have been able to walk in that short a time. We should get it done easier that way, but I want you to spend some time now coming up with a list of any landmarks you can remember...'

He pushed a printed overhead map of the camp into her nerveless fingers. She looked at it briefly, noting the spots that marked the cooking camp, the clown camp, the crafts camp...

'...so be sure to mark any that come to mind, even if you're not sure. We can have Jade rule out anything that's not possible and proceed from there.'

'Duuuuuuhhh...' she said softly, still staring at the map.

Grimm paused, looking down at her. 'Come on, Rhonda. It'll be a nice walk in the woods.' He leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips. 'Get some rest. I won't use the super-soaker tonight, but tomorrow you're at the training yard - or else!' then he stood up and was walking away.

It was several minutes later before Rhonda fully recovered from the shock, and Grimm was long gone. She clutched the map weakly, looking down at the camp and the surrounding forest represented in harmless black ink.

She bit her lip, hard. Returning to Kwitcherbeliakin - the place where she'd spent the worst summer of her life. 'All right, girl.' she said quietly, clenching her fists, standing up and looking defiantly at the sky. 'At a time like this - there's only _one_ thing to do!' Rueful scuttled down her leg and stood at her feet, looking up at her like a soldier waiting for marching orders.

Then she promptly curled up into a ball on the ground and started sucking her thumb.

Coming Soon:

Chapter 2

The Testoster-1

_Author notes: With generally positive response (and some very enthusiastic response) to Team Probable as original villains for Kim Possible, I found one question being asked more often than any other - what 'power' does Rhonda Fatigable have to match Ron's Mystical Monkey Power? The questions prompted the writing of this story. _

_This tale and it's writing carried some risk. It is not "All Things Probable 3". It's a tale in which Team Probable is featured on it's own, and Kim Possible is mentioned only in passing. So instead of using the fan community's liking of Kim as a crutch to draw interest to Team Probable, I have to rely on their own quirks and personalities (and any skill as a writer I can muster) to generate any interest at all._

_Hopefully I've done that, though only time and reader response will tell. Team Probable was generated to be 'opposites' to Team Possible. But since their creation, I've also tried to infuse them with their own personalities and characteristics instead of just making them evil 'clones' of Kim and Ron. This will continue as the story unfolds. Ron's Mystical Monkey Power seems heavily invested in lore from the Far East and the Orient, and features Japanese mysticism. I didn't want to just parrot that by making an 'evil' Yamanouchi school - besides, it seems everyone looks to the Orient these days to the point of it being almost hackneyed._

_There is a strength and pull to Native American legends and mysticism which seems just as rich to me - and all the more compelling as it remains largely untapped. So when deciding what 'power' to give Rhonda, I felt led by her 'animal' style. She is a student of Judo, not Kung-Fu. And it started me thinking, is there any animal famed for strength in 'wrestling'? My thoughts shot at once to legends of the bear among Native Americans, and I knew I'd found a source for Rhonda's 'power'..._


	2. Flight of the Testoster1

Chapter 2:

Flight of the Testoster-1

_'What?' Rhonda yelled in disbelief as her parents opened the door to the mini-van. _

_She saw a scene of log cabins spreading out in front of her, with beaten pathways between them. The 'log' motif seemed quite prevalent, with signs here and there painted on log circles which hung from log poles and metal chains. Everywhere there were children running around, some in coonskin caps, each wearing a similar brown vest._

_'You signed me up for summer camp?' she squealed. 'Why didn't you tell me?'_

_'This is our way of telling you dear!' said her mother, with the infuriating sanctimony of a clueless parent who thought they were giving their kid a treat instead of smacking them upside the head with a fish. Before the main entrance, a wooden arch was perched atop two tall, thick logs, and written in rough letters were the words, 'Kamp Kwitcherbeliakin'._

_Rhonda stepped nervously out of the mini-van, looking around. The whole place was surrounded by a dark fence of pine trees, thick and tall, which stretched away as far as the eye could see. The smell of pine was everywhere. There was a droning of crickets, a chirping of birds, and a dull sigh of wind through the pine needles. She could see a blue lake at one edge of the camp with canoes tethered to a series of docks made of roughly sawn logs. 'But.. I don't wanna go to summer camp!' she said helplessly, while her father took out the luggage he had packed for her the night before. _

_'Oh honey,' said her mother, straightening up Rhonda's collar and her hair, 'You need to get out more, to experience more of the world! You'll love summer camp. There are all kinds of things to do here that you've never done before.'_

_'That is quite right.' said a voice behind them. Rhonda turned and was looking up into the slightly squinting eyes of a man with reddish-brown skin. His face was smiling and kind. He wore animal skin breeches over a pair of brown jeans, and had on an ornate vest, and a tall headdress with many eagle feathers. In his hand he held a staff with two feathers tied at the top with strings of beads which trailed down and rattled softly as he walked. 'I believe your daughter will find this camp to be a place full of natural wonders.' he gestured proudly behind him._

_Rhonda quickly stood behind her mother, peering out from behind her skirt. The old man smiled warmly, holding out his hand. 'Welcome, Rhonda Fatigable. I am Chief Sakituya, and I run this camp. I will be both a guide and a teacher as you explore a new world.'_

_Rhonda shrank further behind her mother, her lip quivering. Mrs. Fatigable smiled indulgently and took Chief Sakituya's hand, shaking it. 'She's very nervous. She doesn't go out all that much.'_

_'I understand, Mrs. Fatigable.' said Chief Sakituya, nodding. 'Most children are nervous when they first come here. But I promise, if she has an open mind, she will discover things here that will seem like magic.'_

_Her father was setting her suitcase down next to her. 'Don't worry sweetheart.' he said. 'You'll meet all kinds of new friends.'_

_Her parents were kissing her good-bye and moving to get back into the van. 'But... where's Grimm?' she said softly as the mini-van motor started. And with a crunch of gravel and dirt, her parents were driving away, leaving her standing forlorn and miserable at the entrance to the camp._

And Rhonda awoke with a cold sweat on her forehead.

It was Friday morning and Rhonda stood in her nightdress, getting ready to go. Grimm had slave-driven her to get her school work done in advance for one day so they could go early on the mission.

Rueful watched curiously as Rhonda jammed a ridiculous assortment of things into her pack. He twitched an eye in confusion, for Rhonda usually traveled light when on assignment, but her pack swelled as she kept stuffing it.

'Bear repellant, squirrel repellant, rabbit repellant, badger repellent, raccoon repellant...' she chanted mechanically as she cycled through several spray cans, arranging them in her pack. 'Cougar repellant, monkey repellant, manatee repellant...'

Rueful cocked his head and squeaked softly.

'Hey, you can't be too careful.' Rhonda said. 'Shark repellant - oh you _know _I'm bringin' the shark repellant - weasel repellant...'

Rueful squealed. 'Hey!'

'Oh, sorry.' Rhonda said, removing the weasel repellent. She stood looking at her pack, scratching her head. 'Yeesh, why don't they just make _nature_ repellant and make it easy?' Rueful shrugged.

'OK Rueful, look the other way, cuz it's time for the mission clothes to go on!' She went to the closet and opened the door. She stared in confusion, for her usual mission clothes were gone, and something else was in front of her, swaying slightly on a hanger.

Later, she stepped out of the front door to her house, wearing a purple shirt with darker purple pants, new gloves, and a new hip pouch strapped to her leg. _'Stylin!'_ she thought, though the dramatic effect was ruined as she tried hoisting her clanking backpack, staggering under it's weight as she got ready to close the door behind her.

'Mom!' she called through the door. 'Me! Grimm! Mission! Back later!'

Her mother called back. 'Be careful out there dear! Remember you have to watch your brother Indy next week!'

_'Uy, don't remind me!'_ she thought as she closed the door behind her. _'Why did they wait until just before I graduate to adopt a baby?'_

Grimm stared at Rhonda as she stumbled, panting, up his driveway later. She listed from side to side beneath the weight of her pack, wiping her brow. 'M.. made it, GP!' she said hoarsely. He was wearing an identical outfit to hers, and he looked anxious to get started.

'Is there anything in there besides repellant?' he said, frowning slightly.

She laid her pack down with a metallic thud. 'Of course there is!' she said. She loosened the tie at the top and Rueful popped out, looking around curiously. 'See?'

Grimm shook his head. 'I said pack some DEET, not a chem lab.' he said. 'You were supposed to pack changes of clothes, food and water in case we need it. You're lucky I went ahead and packed _for_ you.' He gestured to another, smaller pack that sat beside his on the driveway.

'Oh yeah, _food_.' said Rhonda. 'I've heard of that stuff...' Grimm sniffed, half laughing, half impatient. 'Why bring extra clothes and food anyway?' she said. 'I thought we were getting in and out as fast as we can...'

'I hope so.' he said. 'With luck, this'll be one of our shortest assignments ever. But just in case we have to spend a lot of time out there, I want plenty of supplies on hand.'

The communicator in Grimm's pouch sounded a familiar musical _Dot-dot-dah-deep_. He took it out and activated it with practiced ease. 'Sitch me, Jade.' he said eagerly.

'Just double-checking with Rhonda's greymatter.' said Jade, her tinny voice falling slightly flat in the still morning air. 'I went through the camp archives on their nature hike trails and deduced a ballpark area where Rhonda might have been ditched. Outside of that, it's all guesswork. Did you think of any more landmarks?' she said, craning her neck as if trying to see Rhonda past Grimm's shoulders.

'I already said, it looked the same as any other big pine forest.' she said. 'It was big, piney and foresty. All I remember about the hollow besides the boulder was that there was a big cliff outside the clearing. You could see a long way off, and there was a lake in the distance, and a waterfall.'

'Any good?' said Grimm.

'Not much help there.' said Jade, shaking her head. 'Kamp Kwitcherbeliakin has a number of small mountains around it, and lots of small lakes with waterfalls too. There are six nature hike trails, and each of them has at least two sets of landmarks nearby that could be what she was describing.'

Grimm shrugged. 'Well, when you want to find something, there's nothing like looking. We'll cycle through all of them if we have to.'

Rhonda groaned softly. Sometimes Grimm liked doing things the hard way a little too much.

'Rhonda and I are gonna get started, unless there's anything else.' he said.

'Actually, there _is_.' Jade said, and once again her face looked apprehensive.

Grimm raised a knowing eyebrow. 'It's about Possible, isn't it?'

'Right in one.' said Jade, nodding. 'I've had some people keeping tabs on her. They've got new mission clothes. If you're drinking anything, I advise you to put it down.' And she blipped up a graphic, showing Kim Possible fighting Shego. Kim was wearing a purple shirt and pants, just like theirs, except her sleeves were short.

Grimm shook his head, looking annoyed. 'I don't _believe_ this!' he said. 'I had the Fashionistas design these stupid outfits so we _wouldn't_ look like them anymore!'

'So do you still want to keep the new ones on order?' said Jade.

Grimm shook his head. 'Heck, no.' he said. 'Once this mission is over, we're switching back to the old ones.'

Jade shook her head. 'Sorry there, G-man. They've been discontinued by Club Banana.'

Grimm sighed. 'Great.' he said, his voice sounding anything but pleased. 'Well, they were too functional to just give up on. Do you still have the patterns on archive?'

'You betcha.' said Jade, nodding.

'Find a good tailor. Give them the specs and have them make some more. We'll let Possible and her crew run around looking like Barney instead of us.'

Jade smiled faintly. 'I told you to let _me_ pick out the new duds.' she said.

Grimm looked at her. 'She was fighting Shego.' he said. 'Does that mean Drakken is back in business?'

'Could be. They haven't called us yet though...'

Grimm sniffed. 'They _should_ have. Keep it real, Jade. We'll contact you once we're at the camp.'

Jade nodded and the communicator blipped off. Grimm hoisted his pack to one shoulder and was fishing a small remote control out of the pouch on its front.

Rhonda dragged her repellant pack next to him and pulled the other pack up on her own shoulder. 'So, if the world's villains are chillin, who's gonna be our ride?' she said, adjusting the straps on her shoulders.

'No worries.' said Grimm, a satisfied smile on his face. 'We're seniors now - and we've finally got our _own_ ride.' He hit the remote control button and the garage door opened, the darkened pit inside growing brighter as the door raised higher with a mechanical hum.

'_Woah._' Rhonda breathed, seeing what was in the garage. She was looking at what seemed like a cross between a motorcycle and the DeLorean from _Back To The Future_. It was a deep, dark purple, almost black, with silver trim and black leather seats. 'Where the heck did _this_ come from?'

'Dad gave me his old cycle a while back.' he said. 'I've been tweaking it on the side, but frankly my sisters are better with this sort of thing than I am. They tricked it out for me.'

Rhonda found herself smiling. 'In exchange for...?' she said, knowingly.

Grimm sighed. 'I have to take them wherever they want until further notice.' He said. 'And they get to call me 'bike monkey' until they get tired of it.'

He walked around to the left side of the cycle. Each side had what looked like small nacelles with turbine fans on the top and bottom. Rhonda walked around the cycle, staring at it and almost drooling. The windshield was smooth and sparkling, and the whole thing had an aerodynamic and streamlined look to it. On the back was a small license plate, and stamped on the plate in raised metallic letters it read, "_TESTOSTER-1_".

'Cute.' said Rhonda. 'Why not the _ESTRO-10_?'

Grimm had opened up a small hatch on the back of the cycle and was sliding his pack into a compartment. 'Pilot's privilege.' he said.

'Pilot?' said Rhonda, putting her own pack into the hatch as well, 'Don't you mean _driver_?' She checked to see if there was room to fit her repellant pack in as well, but between her pack and Grimm's there was only a little room left.

Grimm smirked. 'No.' he said, his eyes sparkling. 'The twisters weren't the only ones working on this. Jade had a hand in it too. I snagged Ron's Mega Magnetic Manipulator before we left the warehouse in Middleton, and she's been reverse-engineering a lot of his stuff.' He pointed to the turbines beneath the nacelles. 'Ron's MMM used the Earth's own magnetism. All it took was a little fine-tuning, and Jade came up with something no one else has now - Anti-gravity through magnetic repulsion. These turbines provide lift and thrust, and since it's the Earth's own magnetic field that provides the repulsion, we can travel anywhere beneath the stratosphere.'

'Strato-_whuh_?' said Rhonda, feeling stupid. Rueful mirrored her posture of confusion.

Grimm kept smirking. 'It means we can fly anywhere we want.' he said. 'All that, and the only thing it needs is a car battery.'

Rhonda's jaw fell open. '_Boss_!' she said. 'A flying motorcycle - it sounds like something that someone should write into a kids story! Why haven't you shown the guys at school this thing? Donnie would be spitting _bile..!_'

'Oh I _will_.' he said, running his hand over the windshield. 'But this mission will be it's first field test. It may still have kinks to iron out.'

Rhonda's frown returned instantly. 'Do any of those kinks involve us crashing from a thousand feet and exploding in a storm of fiery debris?' she said nervously.

Grimm smiled, putting on a sleek helmet with a visor and throwing one leg over the bike and settling behind the handlebars. 'Let's find out.' he said. Rhonda hurriedly pulled some repellant cans out of her other pack and jammed them into as many crevices of the trunk as she could manage. Grimm started the ignition, staring at her impatiently. 'Come on GF, the daylight's burning.'

Rhonda climbed into the seat behind him. 'Wait, I think there's still room for the shark repellant...' she said, but the bike was already starting to move. She hastily put on her own helmet, then put her arms around Grimm's midsection and held on.

Within moments, they were past the driveway and riding down the street. Rhonda was amazed. 'It's so _quiet_!' she said. 'I can't hear a thing...'

Grimm smiled. 'I told you - magnetic repulsion. Right now the earth's own magnetic field is pushing us along. All the accelerator and decelerator do is increase or decrease the power to the turbines. It's that simple.'

They rode for several minutes, and Rhonda adjusted her own helmet visor. 'So why are we putzing along on the ground?' she said, glancing down at the tires, which looked quite ordinary. 'I thought you said this thing could fly.'

'We're coming up on city limits.' he said. 'I wanted to do our first field flight away from prying eyes.'

And sure enough, Rhonda saw the sign marking the edge of the city coming up and passing by. Grimm checked behind him and in front. 'Now comes the fun part.' he said. 'Hold on _tight_.'

Rhonda started as the nacelles on either side of her rotated down and two flaps unfolded until they locked in place, looking like small wings. The turbines attached to them, which had been pointing up, were now pointing down, and were sounding with a faint, high pitched whine.

She squealed, and Grimm smirked with satisfaction as he felt her arms squeezing his chest. The bike rose up from the highway and he veered off to the side, following Jade's GPS coordinates on the dashboard.

'Oh _crud_...!' Rhonda shuddered, seeing the ground falling away beneath them. Just as silently as when they had been street side, the bike took flight and shot like a bullet across the fields outside of town. The tires rotated up and to the side, the small turbines on the side of each rim whined, and they rose even higher.

'It's just like a _Star Wars_ speeder bike!' said Grimm excitedly. 'Only we can get some serious air! How about some barrel rolls?' he said.

'_Don't_!!' Rhonda screamed, and Grimm laughed. He checked the settings in the turbines. As long as they had power, they would continue to provide lift while the turbines on the back provided thrust and the ones on the wings provided steering and extra boost. He made a few slow circular turns above the field, checking the steering.

'Not too shabby,' he said at last. 'Could be a little tighter though. I'll have to have Jade do some more tweaking. Man alive, I can't wait until we get our sea legs...'

'I think I feel a Jackson Pollock coming on...' said Rhonda weakly.

Grimm resisted the urge to start pushing engine speed. Jade had told him not to try any high intensity stunts on this run, just to see if the bike held up under regular use. The real fun would have to wait.

'So how long a flight is it?' Rhonda gulped, her helmet laying weakly against his back.

'It would be an all-day trip by road.' he said. 'But only two hours or so as the bike flies. Kwitcherbeliakin awaits!' He twisted the handle, feeding more power into the turbines, and they silently rushed through the air.

Coming Soon:

Chapter 3:

The Summer of Discontent


	3. The Summer of Discontent

Chapter 3:

The Summer of Discontent

_After her parents left, Rhonda had followed Chief Sakituya like a zombie to the camp orientation, and had a fireside meal with the rest of the children. She had managed to avoid attention during the 'naming ceremony' that had been conducted that night in which Chief Sakituya gave all the children special Indian names which they proudly learned to recite in English and Blackfoot. She groaned in exasperation as "Hair Like Spider-Web" and "Preens Like Raccoon" had tried to get her to join in. Finally, the evening came to a close and the children were shown to their assigned cabins. She was confused at first, for the slip of paper showed that she was the only person in her cabin. All the other cabins had two bunk beds apiece and four kids assigned to each._

_'I... get my own room?' she said, looking at Sakituya, who had accompanied her personally to the cabin._

_'No, not quite young Rhonda.' said the Indian chief, a faint smile on his wrinkled lips. 'There is a special one who will share this cabin with you.'_

_Rhonda felt the wood planks on the cabin threshold buckle slightly, and heard a soft footfall, mingled with a clacking sound. She turned around and screamed. A bear cub, standing on all fours to about three feet high was climbing up the stairs. It paused, looking curiously at Rhonda for a moment before passing into the cabin._

_Rhonda stared in disbelief, and realized with sudden awkwardness that she had jumped straight up and was in Sakituya's arms. Sakituya looked at her. 'Hmmm.' he said softly. 'Perhaps your Indian name should be "Leaps Like Gazelle"._

_She dropped down quickly, after making sure the bear cub was fully inside. 'You want me to share a room with a BEAR?' she squealed._

_'He is not just a bear, Rhonda Fatigable.' said Sakituya patiently. 'His name is "Gentle Paw". He is also the mascot of our camp - and my four-legged friend.'_

_'A BEAR?' she squealed again._

_'He will not harm you, young Rhonda.' said Sakituya, holding open the door. 'Unless you attack him - which I would strongly advise you not to do.'_

_'A BEAR?'_

_Sakituya sighed. 'Please trust me, Rhonda. You will like him. He is quite playful, and perhaps spending time with him will prove to you that nature is nothing to be afraid of.'_

_Rhonda sputtered. 'Why do I have to bunk with a bear?' she said. 'If he's your friend, why doesn't he stay in YOUR cabin so I can have the room to myself?'_

_Sakituya chuckled. 'I have tried. He always comes here to sleep. He says I snore too loud.'_

_'A BE...' she started, but Sakituya had turned and was walking away._

_Rhonda stood, at a loss. All the other cabins were full up. She considered sleeping on the porch instead, but one look at the flat, rough planks told her she wouldn't get a wink. Trembling, Rhonda entered the cabin. Gentle Paw had climbed a small tilted ladder and was curled up in the top bunk, breathing softly. As quietly as she could, she set up her luggage on the other side of the room and took the bottom bunk of the opposite bed. 'Just... stay there...' she thought, and even the voice in her head sounded like her teeth were chattering. 'Stay on your side and we're cool...'_

_She got ready for sleep, but shrank into a corner of the bed that was furthest from Gentle Paw and remained there, shivering, starting at every hoot of an owl, at every sound of a rustle from across the room before she fell into an exhausted slumber._

_Rhonda came to a hazy awareness the next morning. Still too tired to get up, she dozed fitfully. The blankets felt warm and comfortable and she had one moment of sleepy thought that maybe she was back at home. But she smelled pine trees and heard a wash of bird chatter from all around, and cruel reality crashed in around her. She was still at Kamp Kwitcherbeliakin. She let her feet hang over the edge of the mattress, the cool morning air contrasting pleasantly with the warm blankets._

_'Stupid parents...' she thought bitterly. 'Dump me off at this crazy camp and make me sleep in the same room with a BEAR.' She sighed, feeling lonely. 'I wish Grimm was here.' she thought. 'He'd know what to do...' Grimm had always been there to look out for her since their first day in Pre-K. She had gotten used to him always turning up when she needed him, and she always tried to help him with whatever he was doing, desperate to prove she was good enough to be his friend. Now she was stuck here, and there was no way Grimm could help her._

_Her eyes flew open, as she became suddenly aware that something warm and wet was washing over her toes and she heard a low, snuffling breath that spread warmly across her feet..._

_Chief Sakituya heard a shrill cry and hurried to Rhonda's cabin. The door was swinging on its hinges as if it has been blasted open. Gentle Paw was shuffling out the door with a clumsy gait like a puppy, looking confused. Sakituya heard a rustle of leaves and looked up at a large tree that was next to the cabin. Rhonda was scrambling up into the lower branches._

_'You should not scream, Rhonda.' said Chief Sakituya, calling up to her. 'It frightens him.'_

_'Your crazy bear tried to eat me!' Rhonda shouted down to him._

_Sakituya shook his head. 'Please, young one.' he said. 'He meant you no harm. If he was going to attack you, he would have done it in the night while you were sleeping.'_

_'Was that supposed to calm me down?' she said sarcastically, feeling bolder now that she was up out of the bear's reach._

_'I say again, you have nothing to fear from Gentle Paw.' said Sakituya. Gentle Paw was snuffling gently at Sakituya's fingers. The Indian chief looked down at him, and the bear made some high pitched yowling noises._

_'Hey! What's he saying about me?' Rhonda yelled down to him._

_Sakituya looked up at Rhonda in surprise. Somehow, she had known that Gentle Paw was talking to him, and more - she knew he was saying something about her. Everyone else who heard his growls thought that it was simply that - growling. He smiled. 'Gentle Paw says, your Indian name should be "Toes Taste like Berries"._

_Rhonda sputtered. 'Oh yeah?' she said. 'Well... tell him his Indian name should be "Fuzzy-Faced Jerk!"_

_At his side, Gentle Paw shook gently with a series of short, gasping growls._

_'I heard that!' said Rhonda, now shaking a fist and looking angry. 'So now he's laughing at me, huh? Well, right back at'cha Clyde!'_

_Sakituya continued to look at her, his expression now curious. 'Breakfast will be served in the main hall soon.' he said. 'I will take Gentle Paw with me. Please be ready in twenty minutes.'_

_'Yeah,' said Rhonda sulkily. 'Just keep Chewbacca there on a short leash...'_

_It was not until Chief Sakituya moved away with Gentle Paw following behind him that Rhonda would climb back down. The Indian chief looked back at the cabin as Rhonda disappeared into it. Gentle Paw growled quietly as they walked. 'I know, my friend.' he said. 'She is a strange one, this Rhonda. She fears nature as if it were a striking snake. But nature cleaves to her as if she were its firstborn daughter. No one else has ever understood your voice.'_

_Gentle Paw let out a sonorous breath. _

_'I like her too.' said Sakituya. 'There is more to her than meets the eye, I think. If you are agreeable, I think you should continue to share your cabin with her. Just be patient and try not to frighten her. I hope that one day she will also call you 'friend'._

_Gentle Paw growled softly._

Grimm looked out at a panorama of trees and small mountains that lay beneath them like a vast, green blanket pocked with the sapphire blue of many lakes and ponds. The fresh, clean smell of the woodlands penetrated his senses. He deliberately slowed the cycle, admiring the view as they scudded over the treetops.

'I gotta say Rhonda,' he said looking back at her, 'this place doesn't look so bad from up here.' He had spent many years listening to her horror stories about Kamp Kwitcherbeliakin, making it sound like a place where boogeymen and hobgoblins lurked behind every tree, waiting to jump out and start poking unwary victims in their eyes.

'Just wait 'till we're on the ground.' said Rhonda, and Grimm felt her arms shuddering as she held him. 'Trust me, this place is nothing but bad road.'

'Couldn't be better for flying.' he answered, weaving around a cliffside.

'Bad road, bad road, bad road...!' she chanted over and over again.

Grimm sighed and dipped the cycle lower, seeing in the distance a clearer patch among the dense trees. The GPS panel showed their location plotted in comparison to Kamp Kwitcherbeliakin, and they were almost on top of it. He saw cabins and other log buildings spread out beneath them, and several bays in a nearby lakeside which docked a number of canoes and other boats. It looked as if several sections divided into smaller camps were laid around the circular rim of the lake, but the largest cluster of cabins was unmistakable as the main camping area.

'We're here.' he said simply. 'Open your eyes Rhonda, you'll have to look sooner or later.'

Rhonda looked down at the camp as they descended. Grimm circled around and they lowered until they were parallel with the main road leading into the camp. At about twenty feet up, the tires rotated back to a vertical position and they lowered slowly to the ground, the flaps and the nacelles rotating back up.

'_Touchdown!'_ Grimm shouted, and Rhonda felt a sudden lurch and heard a crunching of gravel and the sound of the tires spinning. She saw two familiar, and hated posts with a sign arched between them, reading _Kamp Kwitcherbeliakin_.

They came to a smooth stop in front of a large building which looked like a main hall. Grimm turned off the bike, and the faint hum of the turbines faded to silence. Taking off their helmets, they looked around for a few moments. A hawk screech sounded faintly in the distance. Otherwise there was no sound, and no indication that anyone was there besides themselves.

'Someone... not get the memo?' said Rhonda, turning her head back and forth as she surveyed the empty camp.

Grimm was getting off the bike, and kickstands snapped down to keep it level. 'We're early.' he said, glancing at his watch. 'No need to panic. The trip didn't take as long as I thought. Jade's earned herself another cake.' he looked proudly at the bike and ran a gloved hand across the windshield.

Rhonda swung her legs across the seat and dismounted, moaning and twisting her back, popping sounds snapped through the still air. 'Glad _you_ enjoyed the trip.' she muttered.

'Rhonda Fatigable?' came a low, soothing voice. Rhonda whirled and saw Chief Sakituya coming out from the hall. He looked the same, except his face was slightly more lined, and there were grey hairs at the roots near his scalp. But he was still dressed the same as she remembered, with a reddish-brown poncho, animal skin breeches over a pair of brown jeans, and moccasins on his feet. His ever-present staff was still in his hand, the feathers and beads rattling as he stepped forward. 'I heard you were coming.' he said softly, a strange look in his eyes. 'You were expected to return much sooner. It has been far too long, young Rhonda.'

Rhonda looked away from him and muttered. 'Not nearly long enough...'

'And you must be Grimm Probable.' said the Indian chief, stopping in front of Grimm and putting out his hand. 'Many is the time that Rhonda has shrieked your name when she was last here.'

Grimm smiled faintly and shook his hand. 'Chief Sakituya.' he said. 'I've heard a lot about your camp. I hope none of it's true.'

Sakituya chuckled. 'A thousand people will describe something that is true a thousand different ways.' he said. 'You will see the camp and decide for yourself what is true.'

'There someplace I can store this?' he said, pointing to his bike. 'I don't want to leave it out in the open.'

Sakituya nodded. 'Yes, I can see why. Most unusual. Silent, swift and guarded, not unlike yourself, young Grimm. If it were not for the eyes of the eagles who noted your approach I might not have been aware of your arrival. We have a storage cabin which will suit it well and protect it from the elements.'

As they were wheeling the bike towards the cabin, Rhonda finally spoke again. 'Not seeing any kids...' she said, her voice a low mumble. Rueful had popped his head out of Rhonda's backpack and was looking around the camp, his whiskers twitching.

'This is a summer camp, young Rhonda.' said Sakituya. 'Not many come here during the fall. The leaves have not yet turned, but only a few holidays remain between now and the time when the quiet of the winter snows will bring sleep to the forest. For the most part, the camp remains quiet in these months, and people come here who wish to find peace.'

'So what are _you _still doing here?' Rhonda said, still sounding suspicious and sulky, looking around as if she were expecting to be attacked.

'This camp is more than just a business for me.' said the Indian chief. 'It is also my home. I dwell here and maintain the camp during the months when we do not have many guests.'

'That explains a lot.' Rhonda muttered. Sakituya looked at Rueful, who was running in circles around Rhonda's neck like a slithering fur stole.

'I see you have a new friend.' he said, smiling. 'He seems most eager to explore.'

Rhonda sighed. 'Knock yourself out, Rueful.' she said. At once, Rueful leaped down and shot across the grounds like a furry bolt of lightning.

Sakituya unlocked the chained double-doors of a larger cabin and swung them open with a low creaking sound. Inside were some tools, some boxes, ropes and tackle, but there was room for the bike in the center of the structure. Grimm and Rhonda pushed in the bike and after closing and locking the doors, Sakituya gave Grimm the key. 'A gesture of good faith.' he said, smiling. 'I sense that trust does not come easily to you, young Grimm. Perhaps this will set your mind at ease. I trust you to return this to me when your task here is complete.'

'Thanks...' said Grimm, taking the key and looking curiously at the Indian chief. 'Speaking of which, we were supposed to meet an expert here, a man named Maze.'

Sakituya nodded, and Grimm thought he saw a flash in Sakituya's eyes at the mention of his name, but it was gone so quickly he wasn't sure of it. 'Yes, I know Maze.' he said, his voice sounding a bit weary. 'He has been here many times, searching the forest for relics and artwork made by the ancient Blackfoot. He has not arrived yet though. He is coming by the main roads.' He smiled faintly. 'Not everyone has a flying motorcycle. Feel free to enjoy the peace of this camp while we await his arrival. Though there are others here who are looking forward to seeing you again.'

Rhonda froze. 'Oh no...' she said. 'Not..._him_!!!'

There was a low, rumbling snuffle from the hall, and from the main door, a large grizzly bear emerged. He was hulking and heavy-set, with long claws and a squarish head. His light brown fur was long and matted, but soft looking, and hung in feathering clumps from his paws and around his head. His eyes were low and drooping, making him appear as if he were on the verge of falling asleep, though they sparkled as he turned his gaze on Rhonda. Despite his large size, he gave an impression of harmlessness that was almost comical.

Sakituya smiled. 'Ever since he heard you were coming, Gentle Paw has been very excited.' he said. 'He still keeps your bed well tended, and will not let anyone else use it.'

Gentle Paw shambled forward, looking almost like he was smiling as he approached. With a shrill cry, Rhonda flew straight up in a leap of nearly six feet into the overhanging branches of a tree.

Grimm, Sakituya and Gentle Paw all stared up at her. At last, Sakituya smiled and shrugged. 'Ah, memories.' he said softly.

Grimm sat on one of the log benches near the outskirts of the camp, watching as Rhonda skittered from cabin to cabin, trying to stay ahead of Gentle Paw, who was peering at her from around corners as if they were playing hide-and-seek. Grimm wasn't sure why Rhonda was so afraid of him - he seemed genuinely harmless and playful, always letting Rhonda stay comfortably out of his reach. Even Rueful seemed to like him, circling in and out between his legs like they were tree trunks.

'Traitor!' she yelled at Rueful from her perch in another tree branch. 'Defend your mistress or suffer my wrath! C'mon! You don't want to suffer the wrath, do ya?' Both Rueful and Gentle Paw looked at each other and shrugged.

Grimm took out his communicator. 'Jade.' he said. 'You reading me?'

Jade's face appeared on the screen, though the image was patchy and bolts of static lanced through it every so often. 'Connections spotty GP.' she said. There aren't many decent relays out there, and the mountains are blocking a lot of the signal.'

'Just touching base. We've got a while before the expert arrives. I thought I'd let you know the bike's working fine.'

Her face broke into an eager grin. 'Spankin!' she said. 'There's all sorts of applications for the MRTs now we've established they work...'

'MRTs?' said Grimm.

'Magnetic Repulsion Thrusters.' said Jade. 'It's not officially an invention until it has an acronym...'

'Keep it close to the vest, Jade.' he said quietly. 'Right now we're the only ones on earth who have this technology, and I think we should keep it that way until further notice.'

'Just keep me in bundt cake, and it's a deal.' she said. 'How's Rhonda holding up?'

'Same as always.' he said, looking on as Rhonda ran screaming past the bench with Gentle Paw in slow, leisurely pursuit. 'We'll touch base again before we set out.'

'Just so you know GP, once you're in the forest the communicator won't work.' she said. There's some radio equipment in the camp that's letting me slice in through the interference, but beyond that, the whole forest is an electromagnetic dead zone.'

'Gotcha.' he said. 'You rock, etc. etc.' then he shut off the communicator as Rhonda hid behind him.

'Why are you just _sitting _there?' Rhonda wailed. 'Your GF is in mortal peril!'

Grimm rolled his eyes. 'No peril here, Rhonda.' he said. 'All I see is a bear who looks nearly domesticated.' He stood and walked up to Gentle Paw, who had stopped about four feet away from them and was looking at them curiously with Rueful perched on the hump of his broad back. Grimm held out his hand and Gentle Paw sniffed him, licking his fingers once before sitting back on his haunches. He let out a series of guttural snorts, looking from side to side around Grimm to where Rhonda stood cringing behind him.

'None of your _business_!' said Rhonda suddenly, and Grimm saw the skin of her face flushing a brilliant red.

'You understand him?' said Grimm, surprised. 'What did he say?'

'Nothing!' said Rhonda, trying unconvincingly to look nonchalant. 'He said _nothing_!'

But Grimm couldn't help wondering. When Rhonda had first bought Rueful from Smarty-Mart, he was amazed at the nearly telepathic rapport she seemed to have developed with him. And now, despite her reticence, she seemed to understand Gentle Paw a lot better than she was letting on.

His attention was drawn away to something across the clearing. Near a copse of trees, there was one tall, bare pole with a wooden box nailed to it. Inside the box was a phone, with a receiver and cord mounted on the side of a rough, grey square. He pointed at it. 'Is that...' he started, but Rhonda cut him off.

'Yeah, that's it.' she said.

_Rhonda stood on the edge of a clearing where the only public telephone in the camp was nailed to a log pole inside a wooden box. '...and they've got a BEAR in the same cabin with me!' she was squealing into the mouthpiece. 'Come on, Mom! You've gotta get me out of this death-trap! Just take me home - please?' She paused, listening to muffled sounds through the receiver. 'Overreacting?' Rhonda wailed. She jumped up and down, stamping her feet and shaking her free hand wildly in the air. 'I am NOT overreacting!!! Hey, don't you dare hang up on me - hello? HELLO??'_

_She put the phone back on its hook and sighed. She wanted to go on ranting, but there was no point without her parents listening. She had been calling them constantly, almost every hour, during every break between activities. They had been patient at first, but became much less so with each call. She turned and looked around at the other kids who were laughing and playing. Shaking her head, she checked the activity book Sakituya had given her and started a slow, morose walk to the crafts camp, her head hanging low._

_From the shade inside one of the cabins, Sakituya looked at her. Gentle Paw made a quivering growl, almost like a question mark._

_'Her parents were wise to bring her here.' he said to Gentle Paw. 'She may fear nature, and the unknown. But I sense something within her. We simply need to help her find something that she is good at.'_

_Later at Crafts Camp, a number of children fled from the cabin, screaming in terror as smoke billowed from the doorway. Rhonda came out soon after, her face covered with soot and her hair matted and tangled as if she had jammed her finger in a light socket. The Camp Counselor assigned to the Crafts building looked down at her, his eyebrow raised._

_'What?' said Rhonda, looking confused and helpless. 'You said it was a wood BURNING kit...'_

_Looking on from a distance, Sakituya sighed and shook his head._

_In a knot-tying class, several children laughed as Rhonda hopped around, tangled from head to foot with several cords of rope in which she had been trying to tie a square knot. One of her hops took her too near the campfire, and one end of a trailing rope was set alight. She spun and stomped wildly, trying to put it out, but wound up setting fire to all of the racks that the other children's neat square knots were tied to. _

_The assembly retreated, screaming, until the fire died down; leaving Rhonda standing in the midst, dusted with soot and her hair tangled. She smiled and waved uncomfortably to the glaring counselor._

_Looking on from a distance, Sakituya sighed and shook his head._

_In the Dutch Oven class, the counselors looked on in stunned amazement and the rest of the class fled screaming from the cabin as the pot of water Rhonda was trying to bring to a boil caught fire and burned to cinders. She waved sheepishly at them, digging her toe on the floor._

_Looking on from a distance, Sakituya sighed and shook his head._

_At the docks, dressed in her swimsuit and wearing floaties on her arms, Rhonda gingerly put her toe onto the prow of a canoe that she and her waiting instructor were to take out onto the lake. She drew back in alarm as the canoe burst into flames and sank on the spot. The counselor watched as the burning canoe disappeared beneath the waves, his mouth hanging open in disbelief. _

_'Aw, come on fate - now you're just being ridiculous!' said Rhonda in frustration, staring at the smoking ripple on the lake surface. _

_Looking on from a distance, Sakituya sighed and shook his head._

_Later that night as the children slept, the counselors met with Sakituya in the main hall to discuss the events of the day and to finalize plans for the next day. They sat in a ring around a small campfire with Sakituya at the lead, a babble of talk flying between them._

_'I still don't understand how the canoe caught fire, Chief.' said one of the counselors, shrugging. 'I soaked it with water before she got in just in case...'_

_'I never thought I'd meet someone who could actually burn water...' said another._

_'Maybe her Indian name should be "Firebringer"...' said another, and nearly everyone nodded and chuckled._

_Sakituya held up his hand to stop the chatter as the other counselors described their disastrous attempts to guide Rhonda through the camp activities._

_'I am hearing many complaints, but no solutions.' he said firmly. 'And even fewer kind words.'_

_The counselors fell silent. Finally after several moments, one of them spoke again. 'A whole week, and all she's managed is to set fire to nearly everything she's touched, even the lake.' he said. 'The other children are afraid to include her in the games because they think she'll accidentally destroy something else. Since the day she arrived, she's done little but complain and say how miserable she is.' he said. 'She keeps saying that she wants to go home.' he paused, his voice low and hesitant. 'She may be right. Maybe she doesn't belong here.'_

_'You are mistaken, I think.' said the Indian Chief, shaking his head slowly. 'I would look on it as a failure, not simply for myself, but for all of us, if we cannot help this girl find a place here and make her welcome.'_

_'But if staying here makes her unhappy, aren't we just making things worse for her?' said another counselor, shaking his head._

_Sakituya sighed. 'Many times, it is the troubled child who we end up remembering most fondly, and who becomes the most remarkable as they grow. Continue in patience. That is all I will say for now.'_

_The counselors all looked doubtful, but they knew that Sakituya's mind was made up and it was no good saying any more. They turned their attention to finalizing plans for the next day's events._

_Some distance away in her cabin, Rhonda cringed in a corner of her bed, shaking from head to foot, her eyes wide and looking in the direction of the upper bunk across the room where Gentle Paw lay sleeping soundly. She bit her lip in sadness and frustration. She had tried phoning her parents before bed, but they had refused to take her call..._

Rhonda stood in the doorway of her old cabin, looking in. She had found herself drawn to the small log house despite herself. Curious, perhaps, to see if anything had changed. But the one-room cabin was almost just as she remembered. Two desks, two chairs, and two bunk beds. One thing was different though - Gentle Paw's bunk bed was bowed, with the mattress looking more like a shallow bowl. The top bunk had been removed and there was only the one mattress in a squashed and distorted frame. The other bunk looked neat but dusty, as if it hadn't been used in many years.

She lowered her head sadly, but her reverie was broken as she heard a low snort behind her. She backed into the cabin fearfully as Gentle Paw squeezed his furry, hulking body through the door. Rhonda tried to scream, but her voice came out as a feeble whisper. Gentle Paw just stared at her, his head cocked to the side. Then he nodded.

'What?' said Rhonda. '_What_?' She considered trying to bolt past him, but to get to the door she would have to get right next to him. Gentle Paw nodded again, and waved one massive paw toward the bed.

Rhonda backed away from him until she reached the bunk. Gentle Paw looked at her expectantly. Finally, she sank down onto the mattress and swung up her legs. Gentle Paw perked up, capering in a small circle and growling like a dog who was given a treat. Then he climbed into the squashed pile that was the other bunk bed and curled up, the mattress springs making dull metallic creaks as his huge body settled down.

Rhonda bit her quivering lip. '_What is with that stupid bear?'_ she thought. '_Can't he sleep unless he's got me terrified in the same room?'_

She waited until she heard Gentle Paw breathing softly, then as silently as she could; she sneaked out of the cabin and broke into a run. She came to a panting stop at the docks, and sat down on a log bench, which overlooked the lake. She buried her face in her hands.

'This place isn't _that_ bad.' came a soft voice behind her. 'So not the drama.' Grimm stood behind, looking at her. His face was concerned, for he could tell she was on the verge of tears.

'Why can't what-ziz-face just get here so we can get this over with?' Rhonda said.

Grimm kept his voice matter-of-fact and as business like as he could, trying to give her comfort through normalcy. 'He'll be here soon enough.' he said.

Silence fell, except for an occasional frog chirp and the lapping of waves. 'I just... _hate_ this place.' she said at last. 'My life was nothing but misery here.'

'I know.' said Grimm. 'The poison ivy, the bear cub, the fact that your parents stopped taking your calls...'

'All that was rough, GP.' said Rhonda softly, looking out over the lake. 'But I've been holding out on you for years. I never told you the worst part.'

Grimm stared down at her. She was huddled up with her arms folded, her back hunched and her legs together in the way she always held herself when she knew she was about to say something serious. Grimm raised an eyebrow. Over the years, his problem had always been trying to get her to _stop_ talking about her experience at Kwitcherbeliakin. Hearing her say she'd been hiding something from him was a surprise. 'The _worst_ part?' he said, genuinely curious.

She nodded softly. 'Spending the whole summer away from _you_.' she said, her voice almost a whisper.

Grimm was stunned. He wasn't much for affectionate displays, and here Rhonda had hit him with a declaration that almost demanded one. He was touched of course. He knew Rhonda really liked him, and when they'd started dating he had noted a burning light in her eyes as if a lifetime wish had come true.

'Come on Rhonda...' he said, sitting down and laying an awkward hand on her shoulder. At once she laid both her hands on his, holding him there and leaning her head against his shoulder. 'Don't... get all _schmaltzy_ on me.' he said, not knowing what else to say.

'I _like_ schmaltzy.' she whispered.

Grimm held her. Tweaking the good guys - getting into their heads and pulling their strings until they were so worked up they couldn't see straight - that was what he was comfortable with and what came naturally to him. But this was different, trying to set someone's mind at ease. He trailed off, wondering if he'd said the wrong thing, and decided to cut his losses by saying nothing more.

Rhonda just held his hand in silence.

From across the camp, Sakituya stared at them as they embraced, two tiny dots at the distant water's edge. He sighed, and then he heard the soft sound of footsteps. He turned, and saw a tall figure looming behind him.

'Sakituya.' came a deep, cold voice. 'I apologize for my lateness.'

Coming Soon:

Chapter 4

The Paw That Refreshes


	4. The Paw That Refreshes

_Author: Special thanks goes to Laura Redish and her associates, who run an excellent website __**"Native Languages of the Americas". **__They are all about education in and preservation of Native American languages. Thier people have been very helpful, and the coming chapters will not have been possible without their knowledge. I highly recommend visiting their website. For those who wish to study these fascinating languages, there is no better place to start. Or simply do a google search for "Laura Redish". Her name brings up links to their site prominently..._

Chapter 4

The Paw That Refreshes

Sakituya turned to greet the newcomer. 'Maze.' he said. 'As always, you arrive silently and without fanfare.' He went forward and shook the hand of the man before him.

'And as always, you are here.' Maze answered. 'As seemingly immovable as the mountains.'

Gentle Paw stood in the doorway of a cabin, looking out, but not coming to Sakituya's side. If Rhonda or Grimm had been there, they would have seen he was shivering.

Maze looked around as they walked through the camp, his face dark. 'You are still acting the servant.' he said, shaking his head, his voice disapproving. 'I say again Sakituya, it is disrespectful to our heritage. You are a true chief of the Blackfoot, and do not need to play these silly games for the amusement of spoiled white children. You would do well to close this place and return it to the clasp of nature.'

Sakituya shook his own head. 'And I say to you again old friend, that nature has full claim on this place. How can I give back to nature something that it already owns? If you would allow yourself to see, you would find great freedom and beauty here...'

'I see only the shackles and trappings of the white man.' said Maze, staring around at the cabins and docks.

Sakituya smiled. 'The children who experience the joys of the camp would disagree with you.'

Maze scowled. 'They do not come to be one with nature. They are forced to come here by their lazy parents.'

'Not all.' said Sakituya, and his voice now carried a hint of challenge. 'Even if only one child comes to appreciate this Earth and its wonders through my efforts, that is enough.'

'There are other ways to make people see.' said Maze. 'Quicker and more effective. Hopefully the time will come very soon when those ways are shown. You say that the girl who discovered the artifact is here?'

'Yes.' said Sakituya. 'Though I should warn you - she is not what you would expect.'

''If she was able to find the monument, that is all I need to know.' said Maze. 'Nothing else could be of importance.'

'Then you will see for yourself.' said Sakituya. 'They are there by the docks.'

They walked up to the landing area where Grimm and Rhonda were still seated and looking out over the water. Sakituya cleared his throat to get their attention. 'Grimm Probable - Rhonda Fatigable.' he said as they turned around. 'Allow me to introduce your client, Maze.'

Through Grimm, Rhonda was used to dealing with unusual characters. Mad scientists and evil geniuses with blue or orange skin. Kilt-wearing Scotsmen with exploding golf balls. English aristocracy with genetically altered hands and feet. But the man standing before her sent chills down her spine, not because he was a freak or a monster like their normal super-villain clients, but because he was flat-out _creepy_.

He had the reddish-brown skin of an Indian, but the difference between Maze and Sakituya could not have been any more stark. While Sakituya was short, roundish and solid looking, Maze was almost skeletal.

He was tall, thin and wispy, with dark hair trailing behind his head. He had a beak-like nose and dark circles under his eyes, and there were two eagle feathers tied behind his left ear. He had wrinkles on his face, but he seemed much younger than Sakituya. A brown poncho with a thin, elongated paw print stitched into it was draped loosely around his shoulders, and in his hand he held a staff which looked more like a spear, tipped with what seemed to be a large claw.

He was shadow-light, and shadow-thin, as if a sudden breeze might blow him away. But he stared at Grimm and Rhonda, a frown crinkling his lips as his eyes narrowed. Despite how dark his eyes were, Rhonda felt as if a winter blast was slicing into her skin as he looked her over. Finally he spoke, and his voice was low and thick, surprisingly deep for someone who was so thin. 'You... are the one who discovered the ancient artifact?' he said, questioningly.

Rhonda nodded. 'Yeah.' she said, wishing that someone else had been with her that day, so it _wasn't_ just her who had found it. She felt uncomfortable that everyone here was expecting her to find it again as if she were some kind of divining rod.

Maze glared, and his voice became even thicker with confusion and an edge of disapproval. 'But... you are _white_.' he said, as if it meant something.

Rhonda glared back at him. Then she looked at her hands in mock surprise. 'Oh _gee_!' she said. 'How the heck did _that_ happen?'

Grimm felt the tension flaring between them at once and stepped forward. 'We're _glad_ to meet you.' he said with a warning glance at Rhonda. 'We've been waiting for your arrival. And yes, Rhonda discovered the monument, which we'll lead you to as promised.'

Maze was still glaring darkly at Rhonda, but his eyes flicked to Grimm. 'When can we leave?' he said simply.

Grimm paused for a moment, but his voice remained smooth. 'First we should make the exchange we agreed on. Half the amount now - the rest once the job is done to your satisfaction.'

Maze lifted a case he had been carrying in his free hand and laid it on one of the green-painted picnic tables with a thud. Grimm stepped forward and opened the case, which was full of bundles of cash. He started flipping through them.

'I see no need to waste time with foolish negotiation.' said Maze. 'Search the case if you wish, it makes no difference to me. The entire amount is there. Just lead me to the monument without delay.'

Grimm looked back at Maze, then closed the case. 'All right then.' he said. 'We'll leave as soon as we've gathered our supplies and secured your payment. We'll be back in a few minutes.' He nodded to Rhonda and she followed him as they walked back through the camp towards the storage cabin.

When Grimm and Rhonda had gone out of sight, Sakituya spoke, his voice low. 'The years have done nothing to cure your rudeness, Maze.' he said. 'These two have done nothing to you, but you already speak to them as if they were enemies.'

'They are whiteskins.' said Maze flatly. 'They _are_ enemies.'

Sakituya shook his head. 'Then why hire them? Why give them such wealth? Surely that money represents the value of many artifacts you have spent years collecting.'

Maze's eyes narrowed still more. 'If this bear monument is what I think it is, then the other artifacts are nothing. Though I admit - I am surprised that someone who is not of our blood was able to find it.'

Sakituya looked evenly into his eyes. ' I warned you - they are not what you would expect. And I warn you now - I think this journey you take with them will show you many other things that you do not expect.'

Maze scowled. 'So long as the end result is what I expect - I will endure these two.'

Rhonda followed Grimm as he went to the storage cabin and unlocked it. He then opened the storage compartment in the back of the bike, taking out their packs, and closed the money case in the trunk, hitting a series of buttons. The trunk sealed with a satisfying _hiss_ and a soothing female voice sounded from the dashboard.

_'Holding compartments secured - have a nice day.'_

He re-locked the storage cabin before hoisting his pack and handing Rhonda hers. They had started back towards the docks before Rhonda finally spoke.

'What's with all that 'you are _white_' crud?' she said darkly.

'Forget it.' said Grimm. 'Besides - he's right. You _are_ white.'

'Well _duh_.' said Rhonda. 'But what difference does it make?'

Grimm shrugged. 'He paid the full amount for the job in advance and it all looks legit.' he said. 'He can call us Snuggle-Bumms or Takkelmaggots if he wants to.'

Rhonda sighed. Grimm had never cared about the disposition of any client, and the only color he was ever concerned about was the color of their money. Rhonda felt a growing unease though. She still wasn't sure she could find the hollow again, and Maze seemed like the type who could lose patience very fast. She hoped she could find it quickly so they didn't have to put up with him for very long.

Grimm paused suddenly, taking out his communicator. 'Almost forgot - we've gotta touch base with Jade.'

Jade's faced popped onto the communicator screen, which was still fuzzy with light static. She looked up from working on an MRT. 'Hey G-man!' she said, her voice chirpy. 'You hitting the trail?'

Grimm nodded. 'Yep. Any updates on the map?'

Jade shrugged. 'Not much.' she said. A map of the surrounding forest flashed up in her place, and amid the glowing green blotches which represented the woods there was a smaller blotch of blinking orange. 'All the nature hike trails had this area as a hub where the sub-trails split off. It's about five miles away. I've highlighted two trails in yellow that are probably the ones where Rhonda was ditched. But you're gonna have to go there and see what you can see.'

'Got it.' said Grimm. 'Maze paid us the full amount, so we'll be staying out there until we find something.'

Jade's face popped back up, looking surprised. 'He paid in full, in _advance_?' she said. 'Mega-unusual...'

Grimm nodded again. 'Do you have any information about Maze? I get the feeling the more we know the better.'

Jade's fingers were smoothly dancing across the keyboards in front of her. 'There isn't much.' she said. 'An expert on Native American artifacts and folklore, recognized as a leading specialist. Not many friends or colleagues though. Looks like he spends most of his time alone in the field searching for artifacts. He's Blackfoot by birth, but he doesn't seem to discriminate between tribes in his work. He's recovered several famous relics for the Haida tribes, the Spokane, the Apache, the Crow, the Comanche...'

'Any personal information?' Grimm cut in.

Jade shook her head, staring at one of her screens. 'Just that he's always looking for more. He's made some public statements demanding the return of more land to the Blackfoot, more political influence for American Indians in general, the usual stuff. He's passed up several opportunities for some well-paid positions at a number of universities...'

Grimm's eyes narrowed. 'Interesting.' he said. 'No criminal record?'

'None that I can see.' said Jade. 'You smelling a double-cross?'

'All of life's a game, Jade.' he said. 'I just like to be two steps ahead at every stage, and I'm barely feeling one step ahead at the moment.'

'Watch your backs then.' said Jade. 'If you're going into the forest now, there's not much I can do for you.' Grimm signed off, putting the communicator in his belt pouch.

Rhonda looked back towards the storage shed. 'Why don't we just take the bike?' she said. 'We could skim every mountain top in like five minutes on that thing...'

Grimm shook his head. 'We're better off on foot for this.' he said. 'Even small mountains are big, and each one probably has dozens of hollows. We could fly right over the bear statue without seeing it unless your 'spider sense' goes off.'

'But it would still go faster...'

'Not really room for three on the bike.' he said. 'Unless you and Maze both want to hang off a nacelle at a thousand feet up...'

Rhonda gulped. And Grimm smiled. 'Just concentrate on trying to remember the way you went last time.' he said. 'The sooner you find it, the sooner this will be over.'

Maze stood by the docks, staring impatiently towards the cluster of cabins. 'Where are they?' he said. 'They said they would return...'

'...In a few minutes.' Sakituya finished. 'In that, they spoke truly. It has only been a few minutes. Patience has never been your strongest trait Maze - take this as an opportunity to develop it.'

Maze's eyes darkened. 'What do you know of these two? If they have already fled with their payment...'

'They have not.' Sakituya said quickly. 'I know Rhonda, and through Rhonda, I know somewhat of Grimm as well. They will not betray you - unless you betray them first. So long as you do nothing to break your arrangement with them, you have nothing to fear.' He paused, looking firmly at Maze. 'And I would strongly advise you to do nothing to provoke them. Grimm is like _Otaatoyiwa_ - the cunning fox. He expects betrayal - and so arranges things so that those who try to betray him end up suffering the consequences of their own actions. You may think him young and inexperienced - but he is no fool, and he is much more dangerous than you might think. As for Rhonda...'

Maze sniffed. 'A fool if ever I saw one.'

Sakituya shook his head. 'You judge her too quickly. There is much more to her than meets the eye.'

Maze stood looking out over the lake at the forest. The wind gently moving the decorative ties near the top of his staff and the feathers behind his ear. 'I find _that_ hard to believe.' he said.

Sakituya sighed and looked at one of the larger docks across the way, which served as an enclosure for the main swimming area...

_Rhonda stood in her swimsuit, shivering, even in the summer heat. She looked at the rippling surface of the lake as if it were a gigantic pool of sulfuric acid._

_'But I don't wanna go swimming!' Rhonda whined, looking up at the instructor. 'Can't I just make some more lanyards?'_

_The instructor got into the shallow portion of the water, holding out his arms. 'Learning to swim can be useful and fun.' he said. 'If you ever find yourself in water, knowing how to float can save your life. That's what we'll practice today.' Rhonda eased into the water until it was up to her knees. The floaties on her upper arms looked like puffy orange pillows._

_Sakituya watched from a distance with Gentle Paw at his side. With sincere hopes that the lake would not catch on fire, he felt a sense of relief as Rhonda began treading water with the instructor's directions._

_But it was not long before he heard a shriek and saw Rhonda floundering to the shore, her skin pale white and her eyes wide with fear. He hurried to the dock, looking down at Rhonda, who was quivering on the shore._

_'What has happened?' Sakituya asked, turning to the instructor. 'Is she hurt?'_

_The instructor looked baffled. 'A whole school of trout came out of nowhere and were swimming around her in circles.' he answered. 'Some of them were jumping over her. If I didn't know better I'd swear they were playing like she was the lead in some kind of synchronized swimming number...'_

_Sakituya shook his head and walked over to Rhonda, to make sure she was all right. He saw Gentle Paw looking at her from the shadow of the cabin door. With a look and a gesture, he ordered Gentle Paw to stay where he was. Now was not the time to shock Rhonda even further._

_Rhonda was glaring at the lake, her face changing from shock to anger. 'What is with all the animals in this camp?' she said, her voice high and shrill. 'Why won't they just leave me alone?' She was taking off her floaties._

_Sakituya stared at her left arm. A dark red spot, with five smaller tear-shaped spots above it, was on her left bicep. He took in a short breath, gripping her arm and inspecting the mark closely._

_Rhonda flinched. 'Hey, let go of the arm Chief!' she said._

_Sakituya stepped back. 'Forgive me.' he said. 'I merely wished to make sure you were not hurt. That is a most unusual mark on your arm.'_

_Rhonda looked at her arm, shrugging. 'Just a birthmark.' she said. 'Not like it's a hickey or something...' She was drying herself off with a towel and moving away from the docks. Sakituya stared after her, and turned to the water, suddenly hearing a loud plunking sound. He saw a large trout leap in a silvery arc and then poke its head through the water surface, staring with glassy eyes at the path Rhonda had taken. Then it disappeared beneath the water._

_Later in his own cabin, Sakituya went through a collection of drawings painted on what looked like canvas made from animal hides. They were old and stiff, and he handled them tenderly as if they were very precious._

_He paused and looked intensely at one that was branded with a paw print of the exact shape as the mark on Rhonda's upper arm. Beneath the paw print mark were some simple drawings of a figure engaged in what seemed to be acts of strength and power. Sakituya let out a low breath and bent his head closer to the canvas. _

_'So as old as this is, it is still mistaken.' he said softly. 'Proof that even the ancient ones were not always right. This is not a man - it is a woman...' He moved his hand very softly across the drawings of the figure, which were crude enough that it was difficult to determine the gender._

_He turned to Gentle Paw, who was curled up on the floor like a dog sleeping at his master's feet. 'Is this why you reverence her, Ikkinikinsstiwa?' he said, looking down at the cub. 'She is the...'_

_Before he could finish, Gentle Paw snorted and gave an unmistakable nod. Sakituya stood up and went to the window. 'This changes a great many things.' he said. 'Now it is more important than ever to prepare this girl. A storm is coming. And the spirits of this world will be moved to action after a long sleep...'_

_Gentle Paw snuffled, and nodded again._

Grimm and Rhonda returned to the docks where Maze and Sakituya stood waiting. 'We're ready.' said Grimm. He looked Maze over. He was carrying only a small pack and pouch at his side. 'Do you need anything else? I'm not sure how long this will take.'

Maze nodded curtly. 'I have everything I want already.' he said. 'If the search takes more time, the forest will provide for my needs.'

'And you don't mind spending the night out there? The sun's already starting to set.'

Maze shook his head. 'The woods and the darkness hold no fear for me.'

Grimm nodded. 'Let's go then.'

Rhonda whispered to Grimm as Rueful resumed his perch on her shoulder. 'I think I forgot the shark repellant...'

Maze stared. 'You already carry more than is wise.' he said. 'All you truly need is your animal guide.'

'My whuh?' said Rhonda, and Rueful cocked his head.

Maze looked at her stoically. 'Your familiar.' he said.

'My whuh?'

Maze's eyes narrowed. 'Your... _pet_.' he said, his voice thick with distaste.

'My _whuh_?'

Maze now looked angry. 'Just _come_.' he said, turning and walking away towards the camp entrance.

Grimm nudged her. 'He means Rueful.' he said, quietly.

Rhonda let out a frustrated breath. 'Well _jeez_!' she said. 'Why didn't he just _say_ so?'

The group left the camp in silence, and trudged along the trail that led into the forest. The sun was already lowering behind the clouds on the horizon, and a yellow-orange glow flooded the camp, though darkness was already advancing from the forest edge. They reached a sweeping curve in the trail that led towards the hiking areas, and Rhonda looked back at the camp. She distantly saw Sakituya standing on a grassy bluff with the huge form of Gentle Paw beside him. They looked grave somehow, with the sun behind them silhouetting their forms and casting long shadows that mingled with the ones creeping from the trees.

Sakituya waved a hand as they disappeared from view into the shrouding woods. 'Good luck, young Rhonda.' he said quietly. 'I have faith in destiny - but I cannot help being afraid for you. Like a newborn foal, you must walk now, or perish.'

Coming Soon:

Chapter 5

Use The Forest, Luke

_Again, special thanks goes to the Native American Languages website: ___

_Through their generous assistance, many character names have been translated into the Blackfoot Algonquian languages, with more hopefully on the way. Some were included in this chapter, and readers who are curious can go to their website and find a pronunciation guide: __** have found the experience of study most enlightening thanks to their efforts, and it's well worth finding out more about these languages...**_


	5. Use The Forest, Luke

Author: Special thanks goes to the "Native Languages of the Americas" website and it's co-ordinator, Laura Redish, and their myriad of experts. They are all about education in and preservation of Native American languages. Thier people have been very helpful, and the coming chapters will not have been possible without their knowledge. I highly recommend visiting their website. For those who wish to study these fascinating languages, there is no better place to start. Or simply do a google search for "Laura Redish". Her name brings up links to their site prominently...

Chapter 5

Use The Forest, Luke

Rhonda struggled behind Grimm, who was following Maze. She felt a bit put upon. _'I thought I was supposed to be leading them_.' she thought. Grimm paused at the top of a rise in the trail, looking back at her, his form fading into the dimming grayness which surrounded them.

'Once we hit the first mark on the map, the show's all yours.' he said, as if he had once again read her thoughts. 'That probably won't be until tomorrow morning though. It's already getting dark. But getting there tonight will save us time.'

Rhonda nodded, taking his hand as he pulled her to the top of the rise. An owl hooted in the distance, and she whirled around in fear. 'What wazzat?' she said, looking around wildly.

'An owl hooting in the distance.' said Grimm patiently. There was a faint rustle in the undergrowth.

'What _wazzat?_' she said again, blanching.

'A rustle in the undergrowth.' said Grimm, sighing. Rhonda was spinning around, trying to stare through the darkness.

'Whazzat? _Whazzat?_ I hear something really, _really_ close...!'

Grimm smirked. 'That's _you_, scattering leaves and twigs with your feet.'

She stopped, embarrassed. At the bottom of the rise on the other side, Maze stared up at them impatiently. 'If you are finished stamping like an elephant, perhaps we can continue.' he said coldly.

As they went on, the darkness became deeper, fading from gray to an inky purple. The leeward winds of the surrounding mountains rushed through the pines, making a sound like a hissing sigh combined with a low rumbling howl.

Rueful was draped around Rhonda's shoulders, looking relaxed, though she herself was tense, every muscle bunched as if she were expecting monsters to attack at any moment. The journey continued in silence for nearly an hour until at last they reached a large clearing from which several trails split off in different directions, though all those trails were now swallowed up as the black dome of night descended.

Grimm was checking Jade's map on his communicator and taking out a small lantern which cast a pale glow around them. 'This is the main hub for all the hiking trails.' he said. Each trail was marked with a sign, and Grimm pointed to one that had yellow log-shaped letters reading _Tenderfoot Dale_. 'There's a small campsite a short distance this way.' he said. 'We'll stay there tonight and continue on in the morning.'

They entered the campsite, which was little more than a flat, clear space amid a surrounding army of trees.

Grimm unshouldered his pack, taking out a thin bedroll. Rhonda stared, but Grimm was laying it on the ground. 'What?' she said. 'No..._tent_?'

Grimm smiled. 'Sorry - no room in the packs. Besides, we're both rough and ready. We can handle a night in the wild.'

Rhonda sputtered. 'Speak for _yourself..._' she said, taking down her own pack. Rueful scampered down, scuttling around at her feet as she took out a tube of repellant cream and started slathering her neck, cheekbones and forehead.

Maze sniffed. He was already lying down, without a bedroll, in the space between two large, knobbed roots at the base of a huge tree and looking totally comfortable. 'By coating your bodies with poison, you disrespect the forest.' he said. 'The mosquitoes who need nourishment to lay their eggs will now go hungry.'

'And all the parasites they carry and the diseases they spread will be lost forever!' she said, squinching one eye nearly shut as she stared at him. 'What a tragedy.' _'No wonder this guy is so thin,'_ Rhonda thought, _'if he likes letting mosquitoes drink his blood...'_

Maze sniffed again and rolled so his back was to her.

_'Fine, be that way.'_ she thought, laying down her own bedroll. Grimm was tying their packs to the line on his grapple gun and he fired up at the lowest tree branch. The line neatly wrapped around the branch, their bags now dangling at least fourteen feet up. 'OK.' said Rhonda. 'The tree - the bags - _why_?'

Grimm was lying down on his roll, putting his hands behind his head. 'Elementary wilderness training.' he said. ''Side benefit of being an Eagle scout. Food on the ground attracts... _bears_.' he said, ending with an ominous sounding inflection. At once, Rhonda huddled against the tree trunk, shivering.

Some time later, Rhonda was still nervous. Grimm had shut off the lantern, plunging the forest into darkness. He was lying on his back, staring up through the tree branches at a brilliantly starry sky. 'Still don't see why you hate Kwitcherbeliakin so much.' he said, a drowsy dullness in his voice. 'This place _rocks_.'

'Yeah,' said Rhonda, pulling a jagged rock from under her bedroll and tossing it aside. 'That's the problem...' She laid back down, and her hand found Grimm's. 'Think our parents would freak if they knew we were sleeping so... _close_?' she said.

'It's... _probable_.' he said, laughing softly. 'They got no worries.' he said again. 'They know we're not about doing anything before...' he trailed off.

'Like... before...' she said, and then started humming a wedding march.

'Yeah.' he said quickly. 'Before _that_. Which isn't coming for...'

'...a while.' she said. 'Because we're...'

'...too young.' said Grimm. 'And even talking about it is...'

'...awkweird.' said Rhonda.

'Yeah.' he laughed again. 'Awkweird. But... when it _does _happen - do you think you'd be able to deal with changing your last name...?'

'Are you _kidding_?' she said eagerly. 'In like a minute! Do you have any idea what it's like at school when the first three letters of your last name are FAT?'

Grimm held her hand in silence for a few more minutes. Rueful came up out of the darkness and curled up in the crook of Rhonda's left arm. 'See, this place does rock.' he said at last. 'You seem calmer already.'

'Well _duh_.' she said, sleep creeping into her own voice. 'This time, I'm with _you_...'

Later, in the dead of night, Grimm Rhonda and Rueful were fast asleep. Across the campsite at the base of his own tree, Maze was wide awake. He still laid on his side, staring out into the darkness, his eyes gleaming. His voice sounded in a low, whispering chant that fell dead only a few inches from his mouth, and unseen by Grimm or Rhonda, the darkness around him became even thicker...

The darkness receded into a pale grayness as the dawn came, pale and clammy. Rhonda awoke first and found that a tree-root had made a hole in her back and that her neck was stiff. _'Walking for pleasure! Why didn't we drive?'_ she thought, as she usually did on a longer mission. _'And all my beautiful feather-beds sold to the Sackville-Bagginses! These tree-roots would do them good...'_

It was then she noticed that Maze was awake, sitting Indian-style in the same spot where he had fallen asleep, his staff leaned against the tree. His eyes were closed, but he looked like he was chanting softly. It seemed darker around him somehow, but she blinked and when she opened her eyes all seemed normal.

Maze opened his eyes and looked at her, the disapproving scowl back on his face in an instant. 'You sleep long.' he said, as if it were some kind of insult.

Grimm had awakened, and after stretching, he unhitched the line of his grapple gun from where he'd tethered it to the base of a tree, their bags sliding down. He fished out two energy bars and two drink packs, handing one set to Rhonda.

'Eat up.' he said. 'This is all we get until lunch. Jade found us some high-nutrient bars that'll keep us on our feet most of the day. It's not _lembas_, but it'll do.'

Rhonda smiled. 'I'll have one, yes.' she said. 'But what about _second_ breakfast?' She gave Rueful some, and he chewed eagerly on it.

Grimm turned to Maze, who had not moved at all. 'Did you bring anything?' he said. 'We don't mind sharing...'

Maze looked at him. 'I have already eaten.' he said, and then added, 'You sleep long.'

'Yeah, I _heard_.' Rhonda muttered.

When they were finished, Rhonda took the drink pouches and the wrappers to a green-painted trash can mounted on a metal pole at the edge of the campsite. Maze glared at her as she threw them away. '_What_?' she said, glaring back. 'This is a _trash_ can - it was _made_ for this sort of thing!'

Maze arose, picking up his staff, and hoisted his pack. 'And what will you do when we are deeper into the woods?' he said. 'Strew your trash on the forest floor? I have seen the white man's contempt for nature...'

Rhonda sputtered, but Grimm stepped in again. 'We'll do no such thing.' he said warily, giving Rhonda warning look. 'I'll store and carry any trash myself until we get back. But as long as there's a trash can here, we may as well use it.'

Maze nodded grudgingly, and turned to the trail, walking back towards the main hub.

Rhonda hoisted her own pack, and Rueful scampered up her leg, crawling back to his familiar mount around her shoulders. 'Is he gonna be like this the _whole_ trip?' she whispered, following beside Grimm.

Grimm sighed. 'Probably.'

She gritted her teeth, shaking her head in frustration. 'How are we gonna make this work if he pulls his 'you're disrespecting nature' act every five minutes?'

'He's our client.' he said. 'We'll _make_ it work until the job's done. Just ask yourself before you do anything - _would someone with close ties to nature do this_?'

'Hey, I'm closer to nature than _he_ is! Does he have an 'animal guide'? Huh? _Huh_?' She gestured to Rueful, who stood up on her shoulder, striking a set of bodybuilding poses.

By this time, the sun had risen enough that there was plenty of light to see by. They reached the main hub, and Grimm checked the maps Jade had given them on his communicator. 'The first possible trail is this one.' said Grimm, pointing to a sign that read _Bunion's Bane_. He looked encouragingly at Rhonda. 'Let's see if anything here stokes your campfire.'

Rhonda swallowed, and then stepped ahead of Maze and Grimm, the trail looking like a tangled tunnel carved through a mass of tree branches and trunks. She walked slowly at first, glancing from side to side on occasion, trying to look as if she knew what she was doing. She felt an uncomfortable blush on the back of her neck, thinking that she could feel Grimm's hopeful eyes and Maze's disapproving ones staring at her. She felt both nervous and embarrassed. But as they continued on and time went past, the discomfort faded into boredom and fatigue.

She tried to remember as much as she could about that day, trying to remember any shapes, features, anything that might give a clue that they were on the right track...

_Rhonda staggered behind the other kids in the troop as they made their way down a trail. She muttered and grumbled as they trudged along. Her feet were sore, and her legs felt as if a steel rod was implanted in each knee, fighting to keep her legs from bending and working as they rose up and down over numerous rises and gullys which the trail threaded through._

_The counselor halted in a small glen with a number of large rocks. They were all bathed with a yellow-green glow as the afternoon sun filtered down through the forest roof. 'Take five everyone!' he said. 'We loop back to the main hub after this break!'_

_Most of the youth hikers found seats on the hard, gray boulders. Some sat down on the ground, panting. Rhonda collapsed where she was, leaning against a boulder and gasping. 'Walking tanks.' she wheezed. She had ignored the counselor's pointing out of various features in the forest during the hike, keeping her head down and focusing on the shoes of the hikers in front of her to make sure she didn't lose them._

_Two other kids stared at Rhonda, who had closed her eyes and was now breathing softly. During the naming ceremony, these two had been named 'Trickster' and 'River Walker'. Trickster waved his hand in front of Rhonda's face, but she didn't stir at all. _

_'I think the squeebette who never gets tired is finally asleep.' said Trickster, and River Walker nodded. Trickster's face broke into a grin beneath his curly mop of red hair. 'It'd be mean to wake her up.' River Walker nodded again, smiling back at him._

_Not long after, the Counselor rose up and gathered the children to continue on. 'Everyone here?' he called out, and there was a dull, tired chorus of the word 'yes' from the assembled hikers._

_He led the troop along the trail which would loop towards the main trail center and back to Kwitcherbeliakin. Trickster and River Walker snickered softly as they went on. Back in the glen, unnoticed and still propped up against a boulder, Rhonda remained fast asleep..._

It was mid-day and going into the afternoon when Rhonda finally stopped. 'No.' she said, shaking her head. 'I don't remember anything about this trail.'

'You're _sure_?' said Grimm, and Rhonda could tell from his voice that he was hoping that she had some more certainty of what she was looking for.

'No, this... _isn't_ it.' she said. She couldn't explain it any further.

Grimm turned to Maze, who was brining up the rear. 'My apologies.' he said. 'We'll go back and try again.'

But Maze seemed to understand, nodding his head. 'I have searched this forest and these woods many times over the course of years.' he said. 'I believe this monument and the trail leading to it are well hidden, otherwise I would have found them myself. I understand the pulse and the rhythms of this place more keenly than any other, except perhaps Sakituya. I would have been surprised if you had found this trail so quickly. But understand that I do not wish to return to the camp until we have found the monument.'

'I hear you.' said Grimm, and he turned to Rhonda. 'Let's go.' he said.

They cycled through another trail this way, but Rhonda found nothing that triggered any memory on that route either. By the time they returned a second time to the main hub, the sun was westering. They continued down the third trail, called _Calcaneus Cutter_.

The next two hours they spent on the trail could not be described as silent, with the sound of birds in the air, and the occasional whooping noise, as well as the sigh of the trees. But being accustomed to MP3 files, video games, cars and the other sounds of the city, Rhonda found the woods eerily quiet. The sound of their footsteps began to thump loudly in her ears.

Grimm fell in line beside her. 'Anything?' he said softly.

'Not yet.' said Rhonda, sighing. 'Sorry GP.' she said. 'I want this to happen as much as you do...'

Grimm smirked, but the usual edge it carried was missing. 'Just relax.' he said. 'You found it without trying last time. Maybe you just need to not _try_. Want me to take Rueful for a while?'

Rueful was in Rhonda's backpack with his head and neck poking out, nuzzled against Rhonda's shoulder and plainly asleep. 'He ain't heavy.' said Rhonda. 'He's my animal guide.'

Grimm raised an eyebrow. 'You don't look so tense anymore.' he said. 'You warming up to this place?'

Rhonda snorted. 'You kidding?' she said. 'Bad road, bad road, bad road...'

'Come on,' he wheedled. 'There must be something you like about nature.'

'Leaves.' said Rhonda, her voice flat.

Grimm looked around at the trees. 'Yeah, the colors will be turning in a few weeks...'

'No.' said Rhonda. 'I mean the fact that I can _leave_ it anytime I want.'

It was a few hours later when the group returned to the main hub, tired, sweating, hungry and silent. Nothing about the Calcaneus Cutter trail had 'done' anything for Rhonda either, making three out of the six main trails that were covered. Rhonda could tell that Grimm was getting concerned, even though he was doing his normal cunning job of hiding it.

The sun was dropping low, and the light that filtered down through the leaves of the forest roof had changed from a pale yellow-white to a golden orange. The light was too weak to shine through the leaves any longer, turning their undersides a shadowy gray.

'There's no sense starting another trail now.' said Grimm to Maze, who nodded, his face still set into his typical stoic mask. 'We'll go back to the campsite, and try again tomorrow.'

Maze said nothing, but turned and started towards the campsite where they had slept the previous night.

Rhonda sighed. _'Great.'_ she thought. _'Another fun-filled night camping with a guy who enjoys mosquito bites.'_

After eating and rolling her eyes at Maze, who frowned at her when she threw away the trash, she sat down beside Grimm. 'Is there anywhere to plug in a PSP?' she said, looking around.

Grimm cocked an eye at her. 'Yeah,' he said. 'Just plug it into the knot on that tree...'

'Is there seriously nothing _fun_ to do?' she said. 'I mean, we watched the 'sun setting' channel last night.'

Grimm checked his communicator. 'There's a lake at the end of one of the smaller trails here.' he said, bringing up the map. 'Two of the larger trails thread around it and loop back to the hub, but there's a sort of lagoon here. Think of a lake view as the HD version of the sun setting channel.'

Rhonda shrugged. 'Well it's gotta be more fun than watching the 'grumpy client' channel...' she muttered, jerking her head slightly towards Maze, who had resumed his spot at the base of the knob-rooted tree across the campsite. 'I'm gonna go see if it's any better than watching paint dry or grass growing...' She got up and left the campsite for the trail.

'Don't go any further than the lake.' Grimm called after her as she was swallowed up in the twilight.

Grimm was left in the campsite with a silent and scowling Maze. Grimm stared back at him. Several silent minutes passed. 'You know, the job will go much more smoothly if you don't rag on her.' he said at last.

Maze looked keenly at him. 'You do not seem as frivolous as her.' he said. 'You are more intelligent and reasonable. Why do you endure her lack of wisdom and skill?'

Grimm felt a bit nettled by the backhanded compliment, but he told himself again that Maze was just another client. 'Everyone at my school asks me the same question.' he said. 'What I say to you now is what I say to them. _She's my best friend._'

Maze stared in silence for a moment. 'I understand loyalty and friendship.' he said at last. 'But this seems... _extreme_ to me in it's lopsided nature.'

Grimm smirked faintly. 'I don't expect you to understand her.' he said. 'No one else does. But she's always been there for me. And I'll always be there for her.'

The lowering sun made the short hike down the trail to the lake dim, but still manageable without her flashlight. She found the lake itself without any trouble either, with the trail ending in another wide clearing that sloped gently down towards the lake waters, which lapped softly on the rocky shore. There were a couple of picnic tables in the clearing, dusty and stained from weathering, and another trash can set up on a pole nearby, but otherwise there was nothing around her but the trees.

She sat wearily with her back to the table, looking out over the water. The waves were dark with golden highlights from the setting sun. The lake stretched out several hundred yards to the opposite shore which was lined with yet more trees which rejoined into the forest, marching out beyond sight to where the pyramid shapes of the mountain peaks loomed black against the sky.

The crickets were already droning loudly, and fireflies were winking in and out of sight all along the shoreline. Normally, the beauty of the scene would have been utterly lost on her, but without anything else to occupy her, she found herself admiring the view. She stared in silence for some time, until the sun sank behind the mountains and the darkness deepened. The random glowing spots of the fireflies seemed to flare more brightly. She got up, knowing that it would soon be too dark to see anything, and stood at the lake edge and stretched out her arms in a wide yawn.

She drew back in shock, seeing a number of fireflies right in front of her. Weirdly, there were two arcs of them, hovering in place, the faint yellow glow from their thoraxes forming two sweeping curves in the air in front of her. She stepped back, waving her hands in case any were trying to land on her. The curving arcs followed her, forming into two squiggling, jagged lines.

Rhonda stared. _'What the...?' _she thought. The lines of light formed by the hovering insects seemed to have followed the movement of her hands. Hesitantly, she raised her arms again, holding them out and spreading them down in a semi-circle on either side.

The soft humming of the fireflies' wings rattled faintly in her ears, and two semi-circles of light were floating in the air before her. She laughed softly. '_Wild_...' she thought.

Grimm stepped out from the trees, finding the lakeshore. Rhonda had been gone a while, and he was starting to get worried. Not that he thought Maze would miss her, but he had no idea how to find the hollow without her. He saw her near the shoreline and had to look twice to be sure of what he was seeing.

Rhonda was _dancing_ at the water's edge, twirling around, her arms sweeping in wide circles. And surrounded by tiny sparks, her hands left glowing yellow trails as they spun around.

_'Rhonda?_' he said, staring.

Rhonda started as she heard his voice, but turned to him with an eager smile. 'Hey Grimm - check _this_ out!'

She brought her hands together at chest level, and then spread them out in a circle that rose and fell, coming back together at a point below her knees. Grimm stared as a softly blinking heart formed in the air, made by dozens of hovering fireflies.

Grimm stopped in front of her, and raised his own hands, trying to write the letter G. Nothing happened. He reached out to the hovering insects and they scattered. 'You're scaring them,' said Rhonda, and she reached out with one arm, pointing and tracing her hand through the air. The fireflies regrouped, and a glowing letter R was hovering in front of her.

Grimm moved behind her, laying his hands on her shoulders. 'How are you _doing_ that?' he said, shaking his head and staring at the fireflies. 'This is unreal...'

'Beats me.' said Rhonda. 'Maybe they're bored. Gotta be a dull life, not having a TV...'

Suddenly the fireflies broke formation and spread out until they were surrounding them both, forming a perfect sphere made of pinpoints of light. Grimm's mouth fell open. 'How...?' he said, for Rhonda had not moved her arms this time.

'I donno...' she said, her voice low in surprise. '...I just... thought it would _look_ cool.'

From the darkness under the trees, Maze looked out on the scene by the lakeside. He glared at Rhonda, confused and amazed. _'She is clumsy, foolish and silly,'_ he thought. _'She has no regard for nature at all - why does nature reach out to her so eagerly?_' His hand clenched around his staff.

When they returned to the campsite, they saw Maze still sitting at the base of the tree, his eyes closed as if resting. Rhonda flopped down on her bedroll, putting another layer of DEET on herself before taking her shoes off and slathering her feet as well.

'Man, my dogs are _killing_ me...' she said, lying down on her back and twitching her feet in the night air. 'Just gonna kick back for a bit...' she said, but her voice was already slurring.

'I thought you never get...' Grimm started, but Rhonda was breathing softly, her eyes closed. '...tired.' he finished. Rueful curled up next to her and was soon asleep as well.

Grimm stayed up, staring at the night sky, and thinking about what had happened at the lake shore. He thought about Gentle Paw, and Rueful, and their unusually tame behavior around her. There was something about Rhonda that went beyond just having a natural affinity for animals. 'Controlling' fireflies seemed beyond reason. Nothing like it had ever happened back at home. Rhonda spent most of her time in her house when they weren't on missions, and generally avoided nature whenever she could. He stared through the darkness at the trees. There was something about Kwitcherbeliakin; or something about Rhonda and Kwitcherbeliakin _together_... Unable to explain it to himself any further, he let himself drift off to sleep.

And in the dead of night, Maze remained awake, chanting so softly that no one could hear him. And once again, the patch of blackness where he lay seemed somehow deeper than even the surrounding shadows...

The night passed. Rhonda woke up, but lay dozing on her bedroll, not wanting to arise just yet. But then she felt a wetness on her toes, and a warm breathing...

Grimm awoke as he heard Rhonda shrieking and saw her hanging from a high branch in the tree where the bags were tied. He looked back down and saw a medium-sized Grizzly bear staring up at her. The bear did not seem very threatening, but Grimm knew better than to provoke it. It was growling up at her softly.

Maze had also awakened and was staring at the bear, then up at Rhonda, the curious, confused expression returning to his face.

'Shoo that thing away!' Rhonda was shouting down. 'Why are these guys always hassling _me_?'

Maze looked slowly up at her. 'He says your toes...'

'_Taste like berries_, I know!' Rhonda said angrily.

'They do?' said Grimm, smiling and looking slyly up at Rhonda's dangling feet. 'I've been missing out apparently...'

'Shut _up_!' said Rhonda, her face suddenly flushing bright red. 'Just... get rid of him willya?'

Maze sighed and waved his staff at the bear. 'Go.' he said, his voice sounding patronizing and cool.

The bear looked at Maze, then snorted and started shuffling back towards the edge of the clearing before disappearing into the trees.

Rhonda was still rattled, but after breakfast, she again took the uncomfortable lead as they went down the fourth trail. But the night's rest didn't make any parts of the woods look familiar to her in any way. They returned to the main hub by late morning.

Rhonda was feeling very nervous by that time. There were only two trails left, and they'd probably cycle through those before the day was over. She could tell that Grimm was getting worried that they might actually _fail_ on the mission. And though she avoided looking at Maze, she could tell he was getting either impatient or disdainful, or both.

She sat at the base of a tree at the main hub, taking a brief rest. Maze was seated by a tree across the way, looking like he was meditating. Grimm sat next to her. 'I've been thinking.' he said quietly.

_'Oh boy, here we go...'_ Rhonda thought, half hoping he was about to admit defeat and suggest returning to Kamp Kwitcherbeliakin. But Grimm was staring thoughtfully around at the hub and the surrounding trees.

'You remember the fireflies?' he said.

'Yeah.' she answered, 'Weird, huh?'

'More than weird - it was super-weird.'

'Suweird.' she said. 'So?'

'Those bugs were obeying you, even responding to your thoughts, or something else.' he said. 'I couldn't do it. I don't think even Maze could. It's got something to do with _you_. And it's getting stronger the longer we stay out here.'

'And this is important because...?'

'It may be why we haven't found the trail to the monument yet. I think the longer you're out here, the more in synch with the forest you get. And eventually, you may start seeing things the rest of us can't see - like the trail.'

Rhonda shrugged. 'So... what do you want me to do?' she said.

Grimm smiled. 'Just... _enjoy_ nature for a while and see what happens.' Rhonda stared at him in confusion.

Later in the afternoon, they were nearly half-way down the fifth of the main trails when they entered an area that was slightly more clear, like a wooded glade. Everything was silent except for the forest noises. Grimm called a halt. 'Let's take a break here.' he said. 'I think we should... _listen_ for a while.'

Rhonda winced and glanced at Maze, wondering how he would react to such a bizarre suggestion, but Maze nodded in agreement. 'There is wisdom in what you say, _Otaatoyiwa._' he said mysteriously. 'The forest is constantly speaking, and has many voices. Before we continue, we would to well to hear them.'

Rhonda looked at him in confusion. 'What's _Otaatoyiwa_?'

Maze looked at her with his cold eyes. 'It is the Indian name given to Grimm by Sakituya. _Otaatoyiwa - _the cunning fox.'

Grimm smirked. 'Cool.' he said. 'This clearing looks like it has several groves. We should each pick one out and just _listen_.'

Rhonda shrugged. 'Listen for _what_?' she said.

Maze sniffed. 'It does not matter.' he said. '_You_ will not hear anything.' He turned and walked towards one of the thickets across the way.

Rhonda stuck her tongue at him behind his back as he walked off, but Grimm was herding her towards another corner of the clearing. 'I did this to give you the chance to _enjoy_ nature.' he said. 'Just park yourself somewhere and commune. Smell the flowers, watch the leaves grow, whatever.'

'You were right next to me and I wound up with a _bear_ licking my toes!' Rhonda said, shuddering. 'Who knows what'll happen if we split up? Where will _you_ be?'

'Somewhere else in the clearing, doing the same thing.' he said. 'This is _Otaatoyiwa_ you're talking to after all. I'll call for you in twenty minutes. Keep the trail in sight and don't go out of earshot.'

He walked off, and was soon swallowed up in the leafy green of the surrounding trees and undergrowth. Rhonda stood staring around for a while, feeling a sense of deja vu...

_Rhonda woke up and stretched, looking at her watch. It had been nearly half an hour since their hiking troop had stopped in the rocky glade for a rest. She stood up slowly, a feeling of fear rising inside her. The glade was empty, the rest of the troop was gone, including the Guide._

_Suddenly every noise around her, from the soft rattle of a woodpecker, to a rustling sound in the distance, had become sinister and threatening. It was late afternoon, and she was alone in the forest. She couldn't remember which way they had been going, or which way led back._

_'They ditched me!' she thought, shivering. 'Those jerks actually ditched me! If I don't die out here I'm gonna kill them!'_

_Her teeth were chattering, her legs shaking, and she fought hard to keep from panicking. 'Easy girl...' she thought, hyperventilating. 'What would Grimm do?' After a few minutes anxious pondering, she said to herself, 'He'd say: how did you get into this mess?'_

_Finally, because she couldn't think of anything else, she threw back her head and called for help, hoping that the rest of the troop hadn't gone so far ahead that they couldn't hear her..._

Rhonda stopped at the edge of the clearing slightly apart from the place where the trail was. A nearly solid wall of tree trunks was before her, and she sat down at the base of the largest one.

Rueful scampered around her for a moment, and trilled softly. 'All right, but don't go off too far.' said Rhonda. And Rueful scampered off into the trees. Then she was alone, with nothing but the looming forest surrounding her. Some birds chirped in the tree branches somewhere overhead. She sat down in the Lotus position, and looked around her.

_'OK nature,'_ she thought. _'hit me with your best shot!'_ Those words started her thinking about the Eddie Schwartz song of the same name. 'Hit me with your best shot...' she sang softly, humming the tune. She didn't even know all the lyrics, but she knew the music and kept humming until she reached the point she knew and then said more loudly, 'Hit me with your best shot!'

Then she heard the tune coming from behind her and above, in a musical twitter. She turned her head slowly, looking up at the tree branches, where a song bird was perched among the leaves. It was cocking its head, looking down at her. It opened its beak, and the notes for _hit me with your best shot_ echoed through the clearing.

Rhonda got up, staring back at the bird. 'Hit me with your best shot...' she sang, and at once the bird sang the notes to match her. Two more birds fluttered down onto the branch, and added their chirping voices to the chorus. She kept humming, staring up as more and more birds turned up and took places in the branches above her, staring down at her and piping in time with her humming...

Grimm sat in silence at the base of another tree in the clearing. He kept his eyes closed, and listened as he had suggested, but he heard nothing except the rustle of the wind in the trees. His watch beeped, signaling that twenty minutes had passed, and he got to his feet, looking around for Rhonda. He walked back towards the trail, and heard birds singing. But there was something wrong about it - the singing was entirely too regular, too rhythmic...

He stopped at another thicket and shook his head in wonder. Rhonda was standing with her back to him, shuffling from side to side in front of a large tree. She was looking up at the tree branches, where an entire flock comprised of various kinds of songbirds sat scattered among the tree branches. She was conducting them like a choir, pointing at smaller ones for the high notes, and larger ones for the deeper notes. Rhonda was singing and Grimm recognized the tune as 'The Warrior'.

_You talk, talk, talk to me -  
Your eyes touch me physically!  
Stay with me, we'll take the night -  
As passion takes another bite!_

_Hooooh!_

_Who's the hunter - who's the game?  
I feel the beat - call your name!  
I hold you close in victory -  
I don't wanna tame your animal style!  
You won't be caged from the call of the wild!_

_Shootin' at the walls of heartache - bang bang!  
I am the Warrior...!_

Grimm cleared his throat and Rhonda jumped, whirling around to face him. 'So, communion's going pretty good?' he said smirking.

Rhonda glanced back up at her assembled songbird choir, which had let out one quavering note in perfect harmony when Rhonda had stopped singing, a note that sounded a lot like _'Awwwwwwww.'_

'Grimm I don't believe this - these guys just... started _mimicking_ the song I was humming, and it kinda snowballed from there!'

Grimm had seen a lot of strange things since starting his business as a mercenary, but he was still surprised even though he had half been expecting this. 'Last night it was insects.' he said, 'Now you've upgraded to birds and small mammals.'

Rhonda looked at him, a confused expression on her face. Grimm nodded and gestured towards the base of the tree. 'You were so focused on the choir that you didn't notice the audience...'

Rhonda looked down and saw that Rueful was there on the ground in front of the tree, and he wasn't alone. There were at least a dozen weasels, more wild looking than Rueful, but all of them looking up at Rhonda with the same mesmerized expression. There were also a number of squirrels as well as a few rabbits.

Rhonda's eyes focused on the weasels first. 'Woah - Rueful! Are all these _yours_?' she said. 'You work pretty fast...'

Rueful shook his head. 'I think he just hooked up with the local gang...' said Grimm, but Rhonda had dropped to her knees, and she let out a squeal of delight. She had scooped up a baby weasel from a clutch of about six in a group in front of her and was holding it gently.

'Awwwwww!' she crooned, and Grimm stared as the songbirds above let out a crooning chirp that parroted Rhonda's tone exactly. 'Oh Grimm look, these guys are so _cute!'_ she simpered, saying 'Awwwwww' again, which the birds again imitated.

Grimm sighed. 'We are _so_ not taking them home with us...' he said.

'But Grimm - did I mention they're _cuuuuuuute_?' she said, rubbing her nose against the nose of the weasel cradled in her hands. The birds again followed the tones of her voice.

'Rhonda I said _commune_ with nature, not gross it out with schmaltzyness...' Grimm looked around at the animals. Normally, weasels only came out to hunt at night and they kept their young safely in their burrows until they were able to hunt on their own. Squirrels and rabbits were among their normal prey, but none of the weasels seemed interested in them, their attention being totally fixed on Rhonda. 'So does this mean you and the forest are in synch now? You don't seem too scared of _these_ animals...'

Rhonda shrugged, and the weasels in front of her swayed their thin bodies, imitating her pose. 'Well _these_ guys are OK.' she said. 'I mean they're not seven foot tall monsters like _Ikkinikinsstiwa._'

Grimm blinked. 'What did you say?'

Rhonda stared. 'I said these guys aren't scary like Gentle Paw...'

'You didn't say Gentle Paw. You said _Ikkinikinsstiwa_.'

Rhonda looked startled. 'N... no I didn't...' she said, but she glanced away from him.

Grimm risked stepping a little closer. The animals on the ground that were further away from Rhonda drew closer to her, as if hiding behind her, but they didn't run away. 'So have they... _told_ you anything? Or have you just had them singing moldy songs from the 80's?'

Rhonda let the weasel baby down gently on the ground next to the rest of them and stood up, a mischievous glint in her eye. 'Moldy?' she said. 'So you want something a little more current, huh?' She turned to the assembled animals, looking up at the songbirds. 'OK guys, like we just practiced...!'

The songbirds started chirping, the weasels started swaying, and the rabbits thumped the ground with their feet, making a regular rhythm that Grimm recognized at once. 'Oh no, not _this..._' he said. 'Ms. Darken gave you a B minus for it in school, wasn't that enough...?' But Rhonda broke out singing while the animals joined in with trills, twittering and thumping, sounding like they had done it dozens of times.

_Come on ev'rybody put together your hands,  
for a ditty called the long-tailed weasel jam!  
'bout a little city girl, in a natural world,  
It's an epic story truthful, how Rhonda met Rueful!_

_Dad's not a puppy man, mama's not a cat gal,  
neither parent liked pets that one would call conventional  
I tried to find a pet on the internet  
Fine'ly found a perfect animal  
that wasn't quite normal!_

_small round ears and a pointy black nose!  
ev'rybody do the long-tailed weasel jam!  
leaves a great impression wherever he goes!  
ev'rybody do the weasel jam!_

_got a long furry body and a pair of clawed arms!  
ev'rybody do the long-tailed weasel jam!  
got a pointy set of teeth but he means ya no harm!  
ev'rybody do the weasel jam!_

_Well I heard Smarty-Mart was having a sale  
on a predatory mammal with a furry brown tail!  
he was cute to the eyes with a sly, sneaky nature,  
he wasn't quite illegal but he'd still freak out the neighbors!_

_Then the manager told me his Latin name,  
he said 'It's Mustela frenata!'  
I said it doesn't mattah!  
And then the guy said: "He might be meaner when he's older, so you wanna buy a cage?"  
nah, I'll keep him on my shoulder!_

_got a sparkle in his eye and a smile on his face!  
ev'rybody do the long-tailed weasel jam!  
and he's great to have around when you're in a tight place!  
ev'rybody do the weasel jam!_

_he got a long furry body and a pair of clawed arms!  
yeah it's the long-tailed weasel jam!  
got a pointy set of teeth but he means ya no harm!  
ev'rybody do the weasel jam!_

_Come on ev'rybody Booyah!  
Booyah!  
Ev'rybody booyah!  
Booyah!_

_All ya little birdies say tweet!  
Tweeeeet!  
Do the weasel jam an' say tweet!  
Tweeeeet!_

_Me and Rueful rockin' out like a monster ballad,  
He want the Bueno Nacho taco while I order Caesar salad!  
with Rueful on my shoulder, I'm feelin' bolder  
always helpin' super-villains make a new world order!_

_Rueful and Rhonda Fatigable  
With our best friend - Grimm Probable!  
stonewallin' heroes with a timely assist,  
I say yo GP, we got your six!_

_small round ears and a pointy black nose!  
ev'rybody do the long-tailed weasel jam!  
always leaves a great impression wherever he goes!  
ev'rybody do the weasel jam!_

_got a long furry body and a pair of clawed arms!  
yeah it's the long-tailed weasel jam!  
got a pointy set of teeth but he means ya no harm!  
ev'rybody do the weasel jam!  
ev'rybody do the weasel jam!_

And Rueful raised a paw in the air, squealing _'Booyah!'_ The assembled animals chirped and chittered, thumping their feet on the ground or flapping their wings.

'Thank you!' said Rhonda, bowing repeatedly to the woodland choir. 'Thank you! I'm here until Tuesday! No wait, I'm actually leaving as fast as I can manage it - but thanks anyway!'

Grimm was smiling, but massaging his forehead. 'Promise you'll _never_ do that again...' he said.

'Oh we're just getting warmed up.' said Rhonda, smirking. 'OK guys, now let's do _The Fighter...' _At once the animals perked up and the birds looked down, waiting for Rhonda's direction. She started singing again, waving towards the smaller songbirds.

_In comes the crew with a mission to perform,  
Not an easy matter, but they've got good form..._

'Enough!' A dark voice barked from across the clearing. Maze was walking towards them, looking angry. The animals stared sidelong at him. He stopped a short distance away, staring at the scene before him. '_This_ is the respect you show to the forest and it's creatures?' he said, glaring. 'These woods were once a sacred place before the corruption of the white man. You were to listen for the natural rhythms and music of the forest - not force them to conform to your own voice and whims!'

Rhonda felt her cheeks growing red. 'Who's forcing anyone?' she said, getting angry in her own turn. She turned to the animals. 'Hey guys - did I _force_ you to sing?' The animals erupted into a wash of chirps and squeals, their heads shaking back and forth. Grimm heard the birds singing in a two-note trill that sounded a lot like 'nuh-uhhhhhhhh'. She turned back to Maze. 'Sounds like you're the one trying to order _them_ how they should think and feel - Captain Killjoy.' Then she glanced at the assembled birds, squirrels and weasels that surrounded her. 'Everybody point at him and laugh!' she said, pointing towards Maze herself and letting out a braying, exaggerated belly laugh. Immediately, the menagerie of animals chittered, chirped and squealed, either raising one wing or one paw in the air towards Maze.

Maze's eyes flamed, his hand clutched tightly around his staff, and he let out one growling breath. The animals scattered, with the birds taking flight and the weasels and squirrels darting away, disappearing into the surrounding trees and undergrowth. Rueful scampered up her arm and curled behind her shoulders, peering out from her hair.

Rhonda waved, grinning sheepishly.

Grimm stepped in again. 'I think we've communed long enough,' he said. 'Let's have lunch and go on.'

Lunch was a grimly quiet business. Maze ate strips of cured meat from his pouch and drank from a waterskin. Rhonda ate another trail bar and drank another drink pouch. Both of them were staring daggers at each other until they finished and started down the trail again.

Grimm felt a growing anxiety. He couldn't fool himself into thinking that he could keep the peace between Rhonda and Maze for much longer. If things didn't improve, or if they didn't find the trail, they'd wind up throwing rocks at each other. He didn't want Maze to be the first dissatisfied customer he ever had.

It was well after lunch, and they had been on the trail for about an hour when Rhonda paused, looking up and around. She kept walking, then stopped again. 'Are you _whispering_ at me?' she said, turning back to Grimm.

'No.' said Grimm. 'Why?'

She looked at Maze. 'What about you? You saying anything?' Maze simply scowled and shook his head.

She turned and started walking, but had only gone two steps before she whirled around as if trying to catch Grimm or Maze doing something. 'I _heard_ it that time!' she said. 'Fess up, either of you got something to say?'

Grimm stared. 'No one said anything.' he said, but his face was eager. 'What do you hear?' Even Maze was looking more interested.

'It is the voice of the forest.' he said. 'The woods have a secret they wish to share.'

Rhonda stiffened, and she heard, so faintly that she couldn't tell what it was saying, but seeming so close that it was right next to her ears, a rushing sigh that was not the wind. Rueful stood up on her shoulder, chittering softly, his head looking off into the distance.

Maze was stepping forward. 'What is it?' he said. 'What do you hear?'

Rhonda shrugged. The whispering rustle in her ears rose and fell like a voice on the very edge of hearing. 'I... don't know...' she said.

'Listen _carefully_, you silly girl!' said Maze impatiently, his knuckles whitening around the staff in his hands. 'The words - what do they _say_?'

Rhonda closed her eyes, straining to try and hear, and even Rueful's breathing suddenly seemed so loud it was a distraction. 'Shhh!' she hissed, and she listened with all the concentration she could muster. At last she could make out what she thought were syllables, and tried to repeat each of them as she heard them.

'_kah... tah... sist... sih... koh... wah...'_she said softly, repeating the syllables twice before she was sure what she was hearing.

Grimm glanced at Maze. Maze was standing there, looking at Rhonda, his gaze cold and calculating. 'What does it mean?' he said. He didn't like not knowing things that other people knew, and liked depending on others for guidance even less.

Maze's eyes gleamed. 'The words are Blackfoot.' he said. '_Katasistsikoowa. _It means, "never gets tired".'

Grimm looked slowly at Rhonda. 'Indefatigable.' he said. 'Rhonda - the voice is calling _you_.' Rhonda gulped, feeling as if she were trying to swallow a softball. Grimm smiled, but only faintly. 'I guess we finally know your Indian name - _Katasistsikoowa_.'

Chapter 6

Liars and Fighters and Bears, Oh My!

Again, special thanks goes to the Native American Languages website:

their generous assistance, many character names have been translated into the Blackfoot Algonquian languages, with more hopefully on the way. Some were included in this chapter, and readers who are curious can go to their website and find a useful pronunciation guide: have found the experience of study most enlightening thanks to their efforts, and it's well worth finding out more about these languages.

Rhonda Fatigable: Katasistsikoowa - (Kah-tah-sist-sih-koh-wah) 'Never Gets Tired'.

Grimm Probable: Otaatoyiwa - (Oh-tah-ah-to-yi-wah) 'Cunning Fox'.

Gentle Paw: Ikkinikinsstiwa - (ick-kih-nih-kinse-stih-wah) 'Gentle Paw'.


	6. The Great Bear Spirit

_Author: Special thanks again to the "Native Languages of the Americas" website and it's co-ordinator, Laura Redish, with their myriad of experts._

_There are several verses in this chapter which they have kindly translated to Blackfoot. I hope to set up links for these translations in chapter 7 as my cute way of 'bribing' you into visiting their website. The rituals and rites in this chapter are fictional, and are not meant to be an actual portrayal of Blackfoot ceremonies._

Chapter 6

The Great Bear Spirit

Kim Possible et. al is copyrighted by Disney

_Sakituya looked at the children as their guide led them back into the camp from their hike. They looked tired, but well, and he hoped they had enjoyed the sights on the trails. It was nearly time for the evening meal, and the troop separated to go back to their cabins and get cleaned up._

_But Sakituya heard a soft noise next to his elbow. Gentle Paw was nudging him, and a sad sounding growl came from his throat. The Indian chief felt troubled and went to the guide. 'Your group had Rhonda Fatigable listed among it's members,' he said. 'But I did not see her return with you. Where is she?'_

_'Firebringer?' the guide said. 'She was partnered with Trickster and River Walker. When I called roll after the last break, I thought they all responded.'_

_Sakituya felt his unease growing. 'I will check her cabin.' he said. 'Find Trickster and River Walker and have them brought back here by the time I return.'_

_Gentle Paw followed Sakituya to the cabin, but there was no sign of Rhonda. Gentle Paw sniffed and shook his head mournfully. They returned to the main entrance of the camp, where the guide was looking sternly down at Trickster and River Walker, both of whom looked nervous and guilty. 'Tell him!' said the guide to Trickster._

_Trickster looked down at his feet. 'She fell asleep when we took that break a while back.' he said. 'We didn't wake her up when we left.' He added sheepishly. 'We thought it would be funny...'_

_'Funny?' said the guide, and cold anger was entering his voice. 'Do you feel that way now?' Neither Trickster and River Walker said anything._

_Sakituya stared down at them. He did not shout or even frown, but his gaze alone had the two children squirming. 'What you have done was foolish, and dangerous.' he said. 'You will return to your cabins and stay there until I decide what is to be done. I will know if you have not obeyed.' _

_Without another word, Trickster and River Walker practically fled toward their cabins. Sakituya turned to the guide. 'Call the other counselors at once.' he said, 'Have a small number remain here to look after the children and see that those two make no more mischief. The rest must be sent into the forest at once. It is essential that we find her.' The Guide nodded and rushed off to obey._

_Gentle Paw let out another mournful sounding growl. Sakituya shook his head. 'This is not good, Ikkinikinsstiwa.' he said. 'It was my intention to gently introduce Rhonda to the natural world. Having it thrust roughly upon her could drive her away and make matters worse.'_

_Rhonda stumbled down the trail, practically swooning with weariness. Still, she didn't feel tired enough to lie down or to rest. She shouted out occasionally, pausing to listen for any answering shouts._

_She paid little attention to where she was going, thinking vaguely that she would try to find higher ground so she might see a landmark to shoot for. And she found herself on a steeply ascending trail, with a rocky face on one side, and trees growing on the other. She kept following it without thinking, and noted after a while that the side of the trail which had trees on it was now overlooking a long drop to the forest below._

_She was climbing a winding trail up a mountainside, and she could see a long distance off. But she could see nothing except the endless green expanse of the forest beneath her. She continued on, hoping that as the trail wound around the mountainside, she might see the camp eventually._

_Finally, she saw a side trail leading off from the main path, and she felt herself drawn to see where it led. She entered an area where the mountain stone seemed naturally carved into a large dome-like hollow, which opened up from the mountainside and looked out onto the forest. It was like being in a vast, empty room with an open bay window._

_Everything was quiet, and even the sound of the wind and the birds seemed to have been silenced. Her footsteps echoed in her ears as she stepped gingerly towards the edge and looked down. She was looking over the edge of a sheer cliff, with the forest far below her. She could see a large lake in the distance, at the base of another mountain from which a waterfall was cascading down into the lake. But she could see no sign of the camp, nor any trails that might lead to it. She sat down glumly near the edge of the cliff, wondering what to do next._

_Then she stiffened, and a prickle on the back of her neck told her that she was not alone. She stood up, turning around, terrified of what she might see, but unable to stop herself. She was looking at the curve of the rocky mountainside as it swept back towards the entrance to the hollow. In a dark recess of the stone cliff, she saw a vast statue, at least nine feet tall, carved roughly into the shape of a bear that was standing on its hind legs._

_Rhonda shuddered, for the feeling that something was there with her got even stronger. All was utterly silent as Rhonda glanced around, trying to find the source of whatever presence she was feeling. 'Who... who's there?' she said timidly. 'Whoever you are - I've... I've got an imaginary friend and he's HUGE!'_

_And from the statue, she heard a whispering voice, as plain as if someone had hidden a speaker inside it._

_Katasistsikoowa..._

_Barely one instant later, the hollow was empty again as Rhonda fled back down the trail, screaming._

Rhonda swallowed hard.

'Indefatigable.' said Grimm, staring at her. 'Rhonda - the voice is calling _you_. I guess we finally know your Indian name - _Katasistsikoowa_.'

Rhonda wasn't sure how to feel. On the one hand - she was hearing the same mysterious voice from nowhere that had reduced her to a shivering wreck over eight years ago, which meant they were one step closer to finishing their mission. On the other hand - she was hearing the same mysterious voice from nowhere that had reduced her to a shivering wreck over eight years ago.

Maze's eyes were boring into her like lasers, an eager light now shining behind them which had not been there before. 'If you are truly hearing this voice - can you tell where it is coming from?'

Rhonda glanced sideways at him. The truth was, she _could_ tell which direction it was coming from. The voice was still so far distant she could barely hear it, but there was no mistaking that it was stronger in only one specific direction, and Maze seemed to know it. 'Yeah.' she said reluctantly.

The confident smirk was returning to Grimm's face, the same look he always got when a mission was as good as accomplished. 'Lead on.' he said.

Rhonda stopped. 'We, uh, gotta leave the trail.' she said. The direction she was feeling was the right way plunged straight into the forest.

Grimm patted his hip pouch where the communicator was. 'I got us marked.' he said. The GPS might not be working, but Jade had set up the communicator to mark their location based on landmarks and other features listed on the nature trails. Rhonda sighed, and stepped off the trail.

The next hour of the journey was quieter, but much more tense. Neither Grimm nor Maze said anything, as if they were afraid of interrupting her. Even Rueful was breathing more softly. Rhonda heard the voice every so often, and each time it seemed a little clearer, making her flinch. It was like being in a horror movie, climbing up a darkened stairwell with creepy music playing, knowing that _something_ bad was about to happen.

Rhonda had always laughed at how stupid the characters in slasher flicks could be, but she suddenly had a new appreciation of their plight. The dumb kids in those movies were controlled by the script writers, who drove them helplessly towards their doom. And here she was in almost the same fix - being driven towards something that was scaring the snot out of her, but too nervous to back out.

She threaded her way through groves and clusters of trees, pushing aside the leafy strands of bushes and undergrowth. Finally, she paused. She was standing in front of a thick network of bushes that seemed to spread out on either side for several dozen yards. The branches were stiff and thorny looking. Threaded among all of the bushes were tall plants with spiny protrusions and serrated leaves.

'Nettles.' said Maze, who had come up behind her and startled her. 'The voice - it leads you beyond these thickets?'

Rhonda nodded. 'I'm _not _going through this.' she said. 'We should find a way around...'

But Maze quickly shook his head, a curious look on his face. 'I know these woods. On the one side, the forest falls down into a series of ravines and gulleys - very treacherous. On the other side the trees and the undergrowth become too thick to walk through. The trail was made to loop around these hazards, but the straightest and easiest way is through these bushes.'

Rhonda glanced at Grimm, who was looking at the screen on his communicator. After a moment, he looked up and nodded. She sighed and turned back to Maze. 'What's the rush?' Rhonda said. 'Have you got some kind of business meeting you need to get to?'

Maze stared impatiently, but with a look of forced politeness. 'It is already late afternoon. If you still do not know how far we must go, then I would rather travel quickly in the hope that we might reach our destination before nightfall. Traveling around would take too much time.' He smirked. 'The nettles will be unpleasant - but surely you are not _afraid_.'

Rhonda stared across the expanse of bushes and the nettle plants that grew among and over them. Grimm squared his shoulders. 'Let's get on with it then.' he said, then he began pushing aside some of the branches, moving into the thickets. Rhonda followed after him, more reluctantly, but determined not to make him do all the work by himself. Rueful slithered into her backpack and peered out nervously as they moved into the bushes.

Rhonda looked back at Maze, who showed no sign of moving to help them. 'Hey, since you respect nature so much, why not give us a hand?' she said.

Maze looked shrewdly at her. 'Of course I respect nature.' he said. 'I respect the nettles enough not to touch them myself, but to have hirelings do it for me.'

Rhonda growled, but Grimm laid a hand on her. 'Ixnay.' he said softly. 'He's the ientclay...'

By the time they had made their way through the bushes and stalks, both Rhonda and Grimm were wincing, their fingers twitching. Pushing their way through some of the bushes meant they had needed to get a firm grip against the thicker branches, many of which were bristling with nettle fronds. The heavier thorns on some of the branches pulled and tore at their outfits and Rhonda even saw Grimm flinching every so often as a stray thorn would punch through his glove or tear at his shirt sleeves.

Maze strode up once they had exited the clearing, following in the wake of the path Grimm and Rhonda had made. He looked down at their gloved and grimy hands. 'You would do wisely to remove those.' he said. 'Those gloves were not made for gardening, and the nettle hairs have burrowed deep. Continuing to wear them will only inflict more pain.'

Rhonda was reluctant to do anything that Maze suggested, but she eased her gloves off after Grimm removed his own, and the stinging eased almost at once. Grimm stowed them in his pack, still rubbing at some of his scratches and scrapes.

Rhonda looked at her outfit, which had several small tears on her sleeves and the cuffs of her pants. Grimm's outfit was similarly damaged. 'These were brand _new_.' said Rhonda. 'Talk about a bon-diggity-downer...'

Grimm smiled. 'Don't sweat it. Remember, we're switching back to the old outfits when this is all over.' Maze raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

They continued on for some time, and as they walked, Rueful seemed to become more fidgety, as if he were anxious to get to a planned destination. He kept poking his head forward on either side as Rhonda walked, finally scurrying down her arm and running ahead of them, pausing every so often to look back expectantly.

Rhonda would have started feeling bored again except that every so often, she heard the ghostly whispering and would get her bearings again to follow it after shuddering. One time, hearing the voice quite distinctly, she paused, trying to stifle her nervousness.

'The voice - it is getting stronger?' Maze spoke from the rear, sounding as excited as Rhonda was apprehensive.

'Yes!' Rhonda snapped. 'We're getting closer and it's freaking me out, OK?'

After some time, the trees came to a sudden end. They found themselves at the base of a large mountain which jutted up from the forest interior. Rhonda paused, the dim memories of her ascent up a mountainside flashing through her head. She remembered following a trail, but she could see no sign of one from where she was standing. But she could feel they were still heading the right direction. Rueful came back through the underbrush and was chittering excitedly. Rhonda followed him, and found him standing on his hind legs, looking back at her and pointing. She saw a clear trail laid out before her, winding through the thick undergrowth towards the mountainside.

Grimm and Maze came up behind her. Grimm had his communicator out, checking the map files. 'This mountain is labeled,' he said, looking up at the towering cliffs which had shelfs on them that were thickly wooded and which ascended upwards past their field of vision. 'But there aren't any hiking or climbing trails marked.' He turned to Maze, who was looking eagerly at the trail. 'Have you ever been this way before?'

'Yes, many times.' he answered. 'I remember well exploring the base of each of the mountains near the trails. But I have never seen this path before...'

Grimm took out two drink packs, throwing one to Rhonda. 'Tank up.' he said simply. 'Before we start climbing we could use a refresher.' Again, he offered one to Maze, but Maze again refused, looking anxious for them to finish and move on.

_'Let me guess,' _Rhonda thought as she sipped, _'CapriSun used to be flavorful - until the white man came.'_

They followed the trail, and they climbed. The trail wound steadily around the mountain, rising higher and higher. On their left side, the steep cliffs towered above them, while on the right side there were cliffs that were bare and rocky in some places, wooded and shaded in others. Rhonda could feel nervousness and fear beating against her like strong sunlight. Rueful seemed untroubled and kept exploring up ahead...

_Chief Sakituya hurried through the network of cabins with Gentle Paw beside him. He stopped in front of Rhonda's cabin. There were several counselors standing outside, all of them looking like they were afraid to go in. 'Who found her?' said Sakituya, 'Who brought her back?'_

_The lead counselor shrugged. 'As far as I can tell, she came back by herself. She ran through the camp, went to her cabin, shut herself in and hasn't said a word.'_

_Sakituya opened the door. Gentle Paw sniffed, but Sakituya waved him back once he saw Rhonda. She was sitting on the bed, curled up and shivering. Her skin was pale white, her hair was tangled and matted; her eyes were wide and glassy. She didn't seem to notice anyone else._

_'Rhonda?' he said softly, but as he reached out a hand, Rhonda flinched._

_'I... want to... go... home!' she said, and her voice quavered pitifully._

_Sakituya slowly lowered his hand and sighed, nodding._

_Mr. and Mrs. Fatigable had been understanding when they learned what had happened. The end of summer was close anyway, and they didn't mind coming a few days early. Rhonda had stayed in her cabin the whole time, muttering 'bad road' over and over until her parents arrived to pick her up. The moment she saw them, she had taken her luggage and dashed to the mini-van as if demons were chasing her._

_'I am sorry.' said Sakituya, as Mr. and Mrs. Fatigable walked more slowly back through the camp to the parking lot. 'The boys who did this have been sent home as well. We do not tolerate this sort of trickery in my camp.'_

_Mr. Fatigable nodded. 'Well, I got ditched in the woods myself when I was in scouts. I hoped she'd get a better feel for nature after a while here.'_

_Sakituya stopped at the edge of the parking lot and shook their hands. 'That may still happen in the future.' he said. 'Your daughter is quite remarkable. She may not remember this place fondly - but I think she will one day return...' _

_Gentle Paw watched the mini-van as it drove off, and he growled sadly._

Grimm was impressed with Rhonda's endurance. Maybe it was all the practice she'd had in running away from super heroes when they were on their missions, but she never seemed to tire out while there was a clear path in front of her. He and Maze had actually fallen behind her several times during the ascent. The forest floor was now far beneath them, and Rhonda had disappeared around a wider bend in the trail. The path had widened, and there were actually wooded thickets on the right side near the cliff edges. When Grimm and Maze caught up with Rhonda, she was standing still. Her fists were clenched and she was staring at the ground.

'Rhonda?' Grimm said, laying a hand on her shoulder.

Rhonda looked at him, her eyes edged with fear. 'This is it.' she said, pointing. There was a small offshoot from the path, barely visible, which led to a dark opening that was nearly overgrown by two tall trees that stood on either side. Grimm pushed aside the overhanging leaves.

They stood at the entrance to a large hollow, like a lightly wooded cavity in the side of the mountain. The main trail continued upwards, but the hollow branched off a short distance into the mountainside itself, the rocks of the ascending slopes forming a semi-roof above them. The hollow was still and silent, the trees and the rocks forming a sheltered den that seemed to muffle and deaden any sound. It was spread out like a room the size of a small house, finally ending at an oval shaped opening which looked out on the forest below.

Over the edge of the opening, some way In the distance, there was a small lake. Grimm could also see a smaller mountain beyond it. He was able to look down on its summit, and saw a waterfall spilling into the lake beneath. They were nowhere near the summit of the mountain where they stood, but they were still hundreds of feet above the forest floor.

Maze's attention was focused on the cliffside which formed the overhanging wall and 'roof' of the hollow. Several yards away from the edge of the cliff, the rock swept back towards the entrance to the hollow, and in a recess of the stone, looking almost like a grotto, there was a large boulder.

The boulder was made of rock that was darker than the surrounding stone, a pillar that rose up over nine feet tall. It was hewn roughly so that it looked like a large bear. On either side, there were petroglyphs etched into the stone, and also the fading remains of two white handprints.

Maze knelt down in front of the statue, running a trembling hand over its surface, and examining the petroglyphs. He seemed to have forgotten that Grimm and Rhonda were even there. Indeed he gazed at the statue for so long that Rhonda began to fidget.

'So... mission accomplished?' she whispered to Grimm. To her relief, the voice did not sound out again. She was half tempted to examine the statue herself to see if anyone had hidden a microphone in it, and whether it was all some kind of weird game just to freak her out.

Maze stood and turned to them, and his face looked eager and happy, which Rhonda found more unnerving than his familiar scowl. 'This is an amazing find.' he said. 'In all my years of exploring and collecting, I have never seen the like of it.'

'It looks almost like a totem pole,' said Grimm, staring up at the crude form of the statue. 'But it can't be - the totem pole isn't common except further north among tribes like the Haida...'

Maze looked impressed. 'That is right.' he said. 'The Blackfoot do not make totem poles, nor statues - which makes this find most unusual. It is older than anything I have ever seen before, and I believe this hollow has been undisturbed for hundreds of years. It may predate even the oldest Algonquian tribes. It's discovery is cause for great celebration.'

'Celebration?' said Rhonda, perking up. She turned to Grimm. 'Can we break out the chips?'

Maze glared at her. 'It will be more proper to perform a ceremony of purification for this site.'

Rhonda nudged Grimm in the ribs. 'Yeah...' she said, backing away. 'Well, you go ahead and get on with that, and we'll just be on our way...'

'I would actually be grateful for some assistance with the preparations.' said Maze, looking almost longingly towards the statue. 'They are somewhat complicated, and I wish to complete them before the sun fully sets. This is a sacred place, and I must offer many prayers of gratitude that the white man has not yet defiled it.'

'Uh _hello_, we can still _hear_ you...' said Rhonda waving her hands.

'What kind of assistance are you asking for?' said Grimm, looking curious.

Maze was regarding the monument and looking over the entire hollow. 'A fire must be built, and sacred signs will need to be drawn,' he said quietly. Both should be done before it becomes too dark.'

Rhonda shook her head. 'I can't draw sacred signs, I can't even draw Hello Kitty...'

'_Otaatoyiwa_ can help with those.' said Maze quickly. 'Gathering wood for the fire will be enough assistance from _you_.'

Grimm and Rhonda left the hollow and scrounged for some kindling and some dry wood, which they found near the edges of the trail without much difficulty. Rhonda kicked a pebble on the ground as they worked. 'I have _had_ it with this guy!' she said. 'So what if it takes him longer to 'purify' this dump without us? Let's go _now_. If I hear one more 'white man has destroyed this forest' speech I'm gonna _scream_! Does he even _notice_ that we've been wandering around in this 'destroyed' forest for two days?'

Grimm laid a hand on her shoulder. 'Relax, we're nearly done here.' he said.

'Nearly?' said Rhonda. 'You're not actually going to _help_ him with some weird rain-dance are you?'

Grimm shrugged. 'I admit I'm curious.' he said. 'I'm an Eagle Scout after all, and Indians normally don't let outsiders even close to their ceremonies. To actually be invited to _participate_...'

'Grimm, I don't _like_ this guy.' she said. 'He's a jerk. Every time I say anything, he acts like I've 'offended his people'. How do you offend an entire race by saying 'break out the chips'?'

'The Indians have a proud culture,' said Grimm. 'And they've got issues that go back a long way.'

Rhonda sniffed. 'So do _I_, but I don't go around yammering about it all the time...'

'Yes you do.' Grimm laughed. 'Look, I'll just help him out a bit and see what all the hullabaloo is about. Then we go home and check off another successful mission.'

Rhonda sighed. 'Grimm, I'm serious - he gives me the creeps. If he wants to blame everyone else for his problems, then let's just give him back his money and let him stew in it. We've got plenty of cash already. I've got a bad feeling about this...'

'I'm not saying I'm going to turn my back on him.' said Grimm, smirking. 'Besides, what can he do against a master of Tai Shing Pek Kwar? You don't have to come. Just pick up some more dead wood, stack it at the entrance to the hollow and wait. I'll be back before you know it.'

He went back into the hollow, carrying an armload of kindling. Rueful poked his head back around Rhonda's shoulder, a soft squeak coming from his throat. Rhonda sighed heavily and started searching for more firewood.

When Grimm reentered the hollow, he saw Maze had already gathered a small amount of wood and was setting it up about ten yards away from the statue. He glanced at Maze, who nodded and stood up, picking up his pouch, which had been lying a few feet away. From his pouch, he took a smaller bag. He opened it and took a handful of white powder, letting it fall back into the pouch through his fingers.

'This is used in sandpainting ceremonies similar to the Blessing Way of the Navajo.' he said, handing the bag to Grimm. 'While I draw the signs, I would have you lay a circle around where I have arranged the wood for the fire. Extend it about seven feet from the center in either direction.'

Grimm carefully did as Maze instructed, drawing a perfect circle while Maze quickly laid out a network of complicated patterns within the circle itself. He also set aside a flint and a sharp stone. He looked up at Grimm as he let the powder trickle through his fist, forming the circle as he moved around Maze.

'Good.' said Maze. 'These signs will represent the Earth and its four quarters.' He said. 'Next, make a round sphere outside the circle at the top, to represent the sun. Then a hollow circle at the base, to represent the moon. Then beneath and above, several pointed circles to represent the stars.'

While Grimm worked, Maze took some of the kindling Grimm had brought and then began striking the flint, sending sparks onto the wood. Soon the tinder was smoking and Maze knelt to blow softly on a soft yellow glow that was shining from within the wood. He paused. 'Have you any skill as an artist?' he said.

'Some.' Grimm shrugged. 'But it's not my strongest point...'

'Stand within the circle, and in the empty spaces I have left, draw the figure of a man, to represent mankind. Then a buffalo, to represent the animals. And near the base of the circle, a hollow man to represent the spirits of this world.'

Grimm did so more carefully, unsure if his work would be good enough. He could draw a little, but he was a firm believer in the philosophy of only doing a few things, but doing them better than anyone else. His eye strayed to the rock wall where the bear statue was set, seeing some drawings among the petroglyphs, and he tried to match them as best he could. He had not devoted much time to art in school, but when he was finished Maze seemed satisfied. He had built the fire into a small blaze which lit the hollow with a yellow light.

Smoke began to trail up into the hollow, and Maze took a smaller bag from the pouch at his side and cast what looked like plant leaves into the flames. He breathed the smoke and stood up, then took the larger pouch back from Grimm.

'You have done well.' he said. 'The ritual I must perform will soon begin.'

Grimm's hand was itching and he scratched it softly. 'If you're satisfied with what you've found then our contract is over.' he said. 'I know that Indian ceremonies aren't supposed to be shared with others, so Rhonda and I will... will be on our way.' he said, feeling a sudden lightness in his head.

Maze smiled quietly. 'Of course.' he said. Grimm felt a sweat breaking out on his forehead. He felt nauseous and was breathing heavily. 'You seem ill, young _Otaatoyiwa_.' said Maze, his voice now silky. 'Perhaps you should rest.'

Grimm fell to the ground. The fumes from the smoke were now making his head swim. He rolled onto his back, staring up at the overhanging cliff, and the stars beyond it, which seemed to be circling slowly. 'What... did you... do to me...?' he said, his voice coming in ragged breaths.

Maze stood, staring down at him. 'I have never found much to recommend the white man.' he said. 'But I do not deny their science has its uses.' He held up the large pouch, dipping his hand into it and letting the white powder sift through his long fingers. 'I did not lie, _Otaatoyiwa_. But I did not tell you everything. This powder is indeed used to draw sacred signs. But the powder I carry has been specially prepared. It contains a concentrated infusion from the plant you call_ Lophophora williamsii_.'

Grimm panted. 'Peyote.' he breathed. 'But... it has to be eaten, or drunk...'

Maze smiled. 'Normally, yes. But this has been altered to be absorbed through the skin into the blood stream. The effect is the same. You should be grateful, _Otaatoyiwa_. You are experiencing something that is normally reserved in some tribes as a rite of passage into adulthood.'

Grimm saw vividly in his memory, how Maze had insisted on taking the course where the nettles were, how they had needed to clear the path, laboring until their gloves were torn and covered with the stinging hairs, then suggesting they remove them. And how permissive Maze had been in letting Grimm handle the powder and draw the symbols, when normally such things were kept secret. _'Stupid...'_ he thought to himself. _'Walked right into it like a stupid newbie. Last time I play nice to be politically correct...'_

'But... you...' Grimm breathed, trying to lift his arms. Every limb felt as if he had been blanketed to the ground with layer upon layer of duct tape.

Maze smirked. 'Yes, I touched the powder as well.' he said. 'But I have developed some measure of tolerance.'

Grimm had a sudden, funny vision of a man in a black mask, talking about Iocane poisoning. But Maze was still talking, as if to himself, looking out through the wide opening in the side of the hollow as the last light of the sun disappeared below the horizon. 'In my solitary wanderings, I have found and discovered much that was thought to have been lost.' he said. 'I have never shared them, not even with my own people. Sakituya is wise in some matters, but in many ways he is a fool. He believes that our people and the white man can exist together in peace. He says it would be wrong, even if we had the strength and numbers, to fight and take back what is ours. After tonight - he will see that he is mistaken.'

Maze had bent down and was lifting Grimm in his arms, carrying him until he was inside the circle. He laid him down carefully near the base of the symbols, and then he knelt down, taking a small drum about the size of a tambourine from his pack. He beat it softly, filling the air with a light rhythm, and then began to chant.

_Sipimottakiksi, Sipimottakiksi,  
Nikaahtomaana nitaanistsi'toyiiwa..._

As Maze's voice filled the hollow, Grimm felt his awareness fading. The shadows around the edge of the hollow seemed to be getting nearer, blotting everything else out. The light of the fire and the details of things around him became an ever shrinking circle, until at last everything went black and the shadows engulfed him like a smothering blanket.

Maze fell to the ground, the drum rolling out of his hand. The fire crackled and popped for a few moments as silence fell in the hollow. Then Grimm slowly got to his feet. He sighed and breathed deeply, flexing his fingers. A smirk crept onto his face and he turned to Maze, lifting him up and carrying him to the top portion of the circle, laying him down so his head faced the fire, and his feet faced the bear statue.

Grimm bent down to open Maze's pack, and he took out an elaborate vest, which he put on as if he had worn it many times before. He picked up the drum, tied the bag containing Maze's powders and pouches onto his belt, and he took an earpiece from the pack, with two eagle feathers tied to the end, and hooked it around his left ear. Finally, he took Maze's staff and gripped it in his hand.

He looked at Maze, lying still and silent, then he looked up at the bear statue. He stood behind the fire near the base of the circle, and hooking the drum to his belt from the left hip, he continued the chanting rhythm that Maze had been using before he collapsed.

_Sipimottakiksi, Sipimottakiksi,  
Nikaahtomaana nimaataakaniiwa..._

Rhonda laid yet another armload of dead wood outside the hollow, adding to a significant pile she had already collected. She could see a yellow-orange glow and could tell it was a campfire. She also heard what sounded like a drum. _'Are they jammin' in there?'_ she thought. She waited a few more moments, and finally she fought back her fears and re-entered the hollow.

Rhonda paused at what she saw. Grimm was standing in front of a small fire, but he was dressed funny, in some kind of vest and she saw he was holding Maze's staff. He was tapping a small drum that hung from his hip and didn't seem to notice her.

_Sipimottakiksi, Sipimottakiksi,  
Nikaahtomaana nimaataakaniiwa..._

She felt confused. Grimm had never studied Blackfoot, but he was chanting it as if it were his second language. Rueful was shivering as he lay around her shoulders and Rhonda looked down to see Maze lying on the ground as if he were asleep. Despite the glow of the fire, the area around Grimm and Maze seemed darker somehow, like a dome of misty shadow was surrounding them.

'GP?' she said, clearing her throat. 'What's with him? Too many mosquitoes?'

Grimm turned slowly and looked at her, and Rhonda felt a cold chill. He was glaring at her with hate in his eyes, as if she were an insect he wanted to squash. He said nothing but resumed his chanting.

Rhonda was feeling more and more like something was horribly wrong. She could no longer hear the whispering voice, and somehow its absence was even more disquieting. She wanted to leave, and more than ever she felt as if a trap was slowly closing around her.

'Come on Grimm let's go.' she said, a hint of pleading in her voice. 'We got Mr. "I-respect-nature-more-than-you" what he wanted. If he's just gonna crash here with his statue let's leave him to it.'

Grimm stopped chanting again. 'Your friend can't hear you.' he said.

Rhonda flinched, for his voice was much deeper than normal. It was colder, disdainful. In fact, he sounded like...

'Maze?' Rhonda whispered.

Grimm winced, his smirk fading into a grimace. 'It is pronounced _mah-zay_.' he said. 'In all my days, I have never met a white girl as slow to learn as you, _Katasistsikoowa_.'

He still did not turn to face her, and Rhonda walked around a pale white circle drawn into the ground until she could see him from the side. 'Come on GP, this isn't funny.' she said. 'Let's get out of here...' she reached out her hand, but as soon as she reached the edge of the circle, she found herself stopped. Her hand and fingers bent as if she had pushed them into a solid wall. She gasped, for there was nothing between them, but she pushed with both hands and was still unable to get any closer.

Grimm looked to the side, and a wicked grin spread across his face. 'Use all your strength.' he said. 'It will accomplish nothing. Scream until the stars shake. There is no one to hear you.'

Rhonda thudded her fists against whatever was separating her from Grimm. It was as if the air had solidified into a barrier that was harder than steel, but it had some give to it, as if the steel were covered with a thin layer of foam. 'What the heck is going on here?' she shouted at last. 'What did you do to Grimm?'

Grimm smirked. 'It is one of the many skills I have.' he said. 'I can call on the shadows of the night - and they answer. With them I can shield myself from harm, as you can plainly see. They will also allow me to take possession of the bodies of my enemies. And beyond finding the statue, a vessel was what I needed to complete my plans.'

'A vessel?' Rhonda said. 'But why...?'

'This statue - this monument - is older than the oldest. I suspected, and was right, that this was the first monument ever made by the ancient people of this land to honor the Great Bear Spirit. The Great Bear is a being of unlimited power, who watches over the forests and the woods which the white man has nearly choked with their greed.'

'Hey!' said Rhonda. 'If us white people were that greedy, we'd have paved over the whole thing ages ago! But we didn't - what does that tell ya?'

'That you wish to keep nature itself as you have tried to keep the Blackfoot - hemmed in and controlled.' Maze growled. 'But nature will not be controlled - and neither will my people. Not after tonight.' He gestured to the monument. 'The ties of this statue to the Great Bear are strong - so powerful that as ignorant and stupid as you are, you could still feel it. The Great Bear Spirit's strength and power are all around it. And soon that power will be mine.'

'Well, la-dee-dah.' said Rhonda, defiant but still fearful. 'You want to be a super-villain and take over the world. There's a whole club of like-minded people out there waiting for you to join up. So let Grimm go. You can hire him again once you become 'Great Bear Junior' or whatever it is you're planning.'

Maze frowned. 'It is not that simple. To take this power, I will need... a sacrifice.'

Rhonda felt fear closing around her almost as solid as the barrier of shadows that surrounded Maze and Grimm. Maze continued to speak. 'I had thought that the one who discovered the Bear Spirit monument would be Blackfoot, and would share our noble heritage. Imagine my dismay when I saw only a pair of foolish white children.' he shook his head in disgust. 'Still, your friend is young and strong. I think he will serve well. His respect for our ways will not go unrewarded - he will have the honor of being the vessel and the sacrifice I need to take the power of the Great Bear!'

'Let him go!' Rhonda shouted. 'What do you mean, sacrifice?'

'You _still_ do not understand?' said Grimm, using Maze's cold voice. 'You truly are a fool - but what else could I expect from a pale-faced girl who cannot even say my non-Indian name correctly?' His face was twisted into a dark sneer that was colder and creepier than anything Rhonda had ever seen Grimm use before. 'My true name is _Sskipoyiwa _- the Shaman of Shadows!'

He turned and stretched his hand out to the bear statue, and began chanting in a low voice.

_Sipimottakiksi, Sipimottakiksi,  
Omahkkiaayowa itapisskowa..._

As he spoke, Rhonda saw beads of sweat running down Grimm's face. His teeth were gritted, and as he continued to chant, his whole body shuddered.

'Stop it!' Rhonda yelled, pounding uselessly against the invisible wall that separated them. 'You're _hurting _him!'

Grimm paused, turning to her. 'This is the only way to cross the gulf between the world of spirits and this world.' he said, his voice now sounding strained. 'It will allow me to channel the power of the Great Bear into my own body through the medium of your friend.' he gestured to Maze's body, which lay at the top of the circle, a pale light making them both look like corpses. 'The incantations weaken the one who speaks them - but I must continue until all the Great Bear's power is mine. Or until the medium dies.'

'Let him go!' Rhonda screamed, kicking and scratching at the solid wall of shadows in front of her. '_Please_...!'

'I am sorry.' said Grimm with Maze's voice, though there was a curl in his lips which said he was not sorry at all. 'But his sacrifice is necessary. It will be the beginning of the restoration of the Blackfoot to power and prominence in this world. We were once the masters of this land - and through me, we will be again.'

'But what about _Grimm_?' she shouted.

'His loss is... regrettable. But do not worry.' Grimm's lips twisted into a smile as he spoke with Maze's voice. 'You will still have your precious money.'

'I don't _want_ your money, I want Grimm!' she shrieked.

But Grimm had turned away, raising his arms again, and was chanting softly as he stood above Maze's body.

_Sipimottakiksi, Sipimottakiksi,  
Omahkkiaayowa itapisskowa..._

A thin line of bluish light seemed to be connecting Grimm to the bear statue. Grimm was grimacing and wincing, and the light flowed over him like a thin shell before gathering in his hand and becoming another beam of light that led from his palm to the form of Maze's body.

Because she could think of nothing else to do, and because she had to do something, she found herself leaping between them and the bear statue. She thought wildly, if she could block the beam of light, prevent it from reaching them, maybe Maze would stop...

As she stepped into the beam, she froze, an unreal sensation seizing her. A flashing of scenes went through her mind, a blurring haze of visions of the forest, then clear and strong came a deep rumbling voice.

_Katasistsikoowa..._

Rhonda stared in amazement. Grimm and Maze were still there, but the rippling beam of light now seemed more like a slow moving stream. Grimm's mouth was only moving ever so slightly, his body seemed frozen. Everything was dark. It was as if the forest had disappeared, as if the whole world had disappeared, and only this scene of fear was left. It seemed as if everything had suddenly become a film moving in super-slow motion, while she herself remained untouched.

And then from the bear statue, a light began to grow. It became stronger and stronger, like a blue bubble expanding to a great height. Then a squarish, hulking form took shape, towering above her.

'Come closer, _Katasistsikoowa_.' came a voice so deep that it actually _felt_ like thunder sounding in the distance. Shaking from head to toe, Rhonda took one baby step before freezing in her tracks.

She was staring up at the colossal form of a grizzly bear - larger than a small building. It was glowing and slightly transparent, surrounded by a halo of blue light that bathed everything with a pale sheen.

The bear looked down at her almost lazily. It spoke without moving it's mouth, but the voice seemed to come from everywhere, shaking the very ground she was standing on. 'Do you know who I am? Do you know who _you_ are?'

Rhonda's voice was shaking as much as her body. Terror washed over her. With everything else going on, this was too much. She wondered briefly if she was going crazy, but she was so scared she didn't dare to disobey. 'I'm... Rhonda Fatigable.' she said. 'And... you're a giant, glowing bear and I'd _really_ like to go home now!'

The bear let out a breath that thrummed around her like an earthquake. 'I am the Great Bear Spirit.' he said. 'This creature, _Sskipoyiwa_, is tapping into my power. You will stop him.'

'The whuh?' she said stupidly.

'Maze seeks to claim my strength for his own purposes.' the Great Bear said, his voice sounding almost sleepy. 'It cannot be allowed. This power is the legacy of the Bear Priestess.'

'The _who_?' Rhonda cowered as the Great Bear loomed over her, fixing his gleaming eyes down on her.

'Over the course of ages - there have been chosen vessels among your people. When I have need or desire to influence events in the mortal world, I send these chosen ones to act in my stead. These are my servants - and to each was given a measure of my power to work my will.' He turned his head to the circle where Grimm and Maze remained frozen and immobile. 'Maze has put himself forth to claim my power, without permission, and without understanding - to work his own will and ascribe it to me. He is not my servant, but he claims the rights of one and merely presumes that he has my blessing.'

Rhonda was still shaking, not really understanding everything the Great Bear was saying, but she gathered he didn't want Maze succeed in his plot. She also got the feeling that if this giant bear was _talking_ to her, it meant he wasn't planning to _eat_ her, and she felt some of her terror fading. 'But... you're Mr. Great Bear guy!' she said, her voice coming out in a frightened squeak. 'If this power is yours, can't you just... like... flick him away or something?'

'I am trying.' said the Great Bear. 'I am attempting to send the new Bear Priestess to stop him. But she is proving quite reluctant.'

'Well, kick her in the pants and...' Rhonda started, but then felt as if she had suddenly stepped into a pool of ice water. 'Bear Priestess? _Me_?'

The Great Bear Spirit squinted his eyes. Rhonda felt the cloth around her left bicep suddenly fly apart and one red spot, surrounded by five smaller ones at the top flared blue on her skin. 'You carry the sign of the bear paw.' he rumbled.

'That's just a birthmark!' Rhonda said. 'You're saying because there's a freckle on my arm that looks like a pawprint that you want me to be a _priestess_? Shouldn't you be talking to Pocahontas or Sacagawea or some nice Indian girl?'

The Great Bear almost looked like he was forcing a tired smile. 'With every word you speak, you prove you are the spiritual heir of the Bear Priestess. She did not want this power either. That is the way of things. Those who seek true power will never have it. They can only clutch vainly at the trappings of what they call power among their own kind. True power is never taken by seekers. Power seeks out those who it wills.'

Rhonda stood dumbstruck. 'But you said Maze was _stealing _your power...' she said.

'What _Sskipoyiwa_ is doing is a perversion.' the Great Bear rumbled. 'I have slowed time around us and spare you what your world would perceive as one brief instant - so you may understand. Maze has used a victim to bridge the gap between the spirit realm and mortality, not caring that he must take the life of your friend to funnel power into his own body. He thinks nothing will stop him. He is wrong.'

Rhonda looked back to where Grimm and Maze stood frozen in place. 'I _can't_ stop him.' she said. 'I tried! I couldn't even get close to him. And even if I did, he's got some kind of weird body swap thing going on - how am I supposed to fight that? I'm just... Grimm's useless sidekick. Without him, I'm nothing...' She ended sadly, all the doubts and misgivings she had been feeling since the caper in Middleton hit her in full measure. Grimm was in trouble - but as desperately as she wanted to help him, nothing she had tried was any use.

The Great Bear regarded her. 'You are stronger than you think, _Katasistsikoowa_.' he said. 'And that strength will let you wield my power. And with that power, you _can_ save your friend.'

Rhonda felt a tear running down her face. Here was a chance to step up, to prove her worth. But she had played second fiddle to Grimm for so long. Over her life she'd had fantasies about doing things that were incredibly cool and skilful, and about Grimm and everyone at school being totally impressed by her. But that was just normal kid stuff. She wasn't incredibly cool, or skilful. She'd lived a life of mundane geekyness that became something more through an extraordinary friend. And like a normal kid who fantasizes about becoming someone extraordinary, she found herself paralyzed at the sudden prospect of it actually happening.

The Great Bear seemed to sense her doubt and her hesitation. 'Do you know how many have fallen to their knees before this monument, begging for a mere scrap of this power which you do not even want?' he rumbled. 'It has been long since anyone discovered this hollow, but the greatest spiritual men from many tribes across the centuries have come here, seeking the power of the Great Bear, or demanding it as a perceived birthright.'

'Then why not one of _them..._' she whispered, but the Great Bear continued over her.

'This power cleaves to _you, Katasistsikoowa_. Did you not feel the summons when you were here as a child? Even though you did not know what it meant?'

'But I'm _not_ an Indian!' Rhonda said, looking away. 'I'm just a white gal who ain't got no rhythm. To be an heir to something don't you have to be _related_?'

'The color of your skin is nothing.' said the Great Bear. 'And a person's bloodline is nothing. All of humanity comes from one source. It is only the pride and stubbornness of mortal men which denies it.'

Rhonda looked at Maze, all of his angry words he'd spoken over the last two days sounding in her mind. 'No one's gonna buy _me_ being a chosen one.' she said. 'Guys like him, they've already got their minds made up about who's who and what's what...'

'That,' he said, 'is mortal arrogance. The first Bear Priestess was named Abish - a girl not unlike you. Abish did mighty works with this power, but in each instance she was driven to it by circumstance. Her deeds were spoken as tales by those who witnessed them. But over time, truth became rumor, and then legend, and then myth. And like the endless branchings of a crooked tree, each tribe of what you call Indians bent the myths to their own understanding - twisting the truth - thinking in their pride that the power of the Great Bear was a legacy of their own tribes and no others. The truth is nothing the white man would recognize. But it is also nothing the red man would expect.'

'You said there were chosen ones over the ages,' said Rhonda, still trembling. 'Besides this Abish chick, how many others have there been?'

'Including yourself - _one_.' said the Great Bear. He paused, bending his massive head down and looking at the statue with one giant eyebrow slightly raised. 'Abish made this monument.' he rumbled, sounding as if he were remembering something both funny and annoying, 'Partly to honor me, and partly to cheese me off because she knew she wasn't a very good sculptor.'

Rhonda let out one half-hearted chuckle that died out before it was half way through. 'Yeah... great.' she said. 'But... you didn't really answer.' she said. 'Why are you laying all this on me when you could just... kick his butt yourself?'

Again, the Great Bear looked like his was smiling faintly. 'I'm hibernating. _D'oy_.' He looked down at Rhonda, then to the figures of Maze and Grimm. 'It is time to take your place as the new Bear Priestess, Rhonda Fatigable. You cannot refuse - it has been ordained and any words you speak to excuse your fear are useless, for I know them all before you speak them.'

'You think you know me? You don't know me!' she said, suddenly aware that she was sounding like a guest on Jerry Springer.

'I knew you were going to say that.' said the Great Bear.

'But I can't...' Rhonda sputtered.

'I knew you would say that too.' said the Great Bear.

Rhonda stood for a moment, trying to think of something unexpected. 'Rubber baby...' she started, but the Great Bear broke in.

'...buggy bumpers.' he rumbled. Rhonda stood flabbergasted.

'Time is running short,' he continued, and the glow around him seemed to be fading, 'You have a task before you, and a friend to save. Prepare yourself... _Katasistsikoowa_.'

'But...' Rhonda said, but the Great Bear was no longer there. Time seemed to resume, and she had just leaped between the bear monument and Grimm. She saw a blue light surrounding her, and screamed. Her very skin felt like it was on fire, as if a layer of something was being burned away from her. She felt her legs give way, but she did not fall. It was like her whole body had locked up and the air had solidified around her, suspending her in mid-leap between the monument and the two figures within the circle.

'_No_!' she heard Maze shouting through Grimm's mouth. Grimm was striding forward, reaching a hand towards her, but there was a flash of light and he was flung backwards, landing on the ground with a rough wheeze.

But Rhonda was still screaming. And like in all previous times in her life when she felt fear or terror, she called for one thing. _'Grimm - help me!!'_ she cried.

_'I can't help you.'_ Rhonda gasped, and as if she were in the midst of a sphere of light that blocked out everything else, she saw the ghostly shade of Grimm before her, though she could also see his body still lying on the ground a distance away where he had fallen.

_'Grimm - I'm scared - please!!' _she reached out her hand, and it passed through his as if he was made of smoke.

_'This is only the form of my spirit.' _said Grimm, staring at her anxiously. _'Maze is still controlling my body. But whatever's happening, it's letting my spirit touch yours. There's only one thing I can do for you - take my courage.'_

_'What?'_ said Rhonda, staring at him. Through his transparent form, she could see his body standing up, his face enraged.

_'Through my spirit, you can use aspects of my personality.' _he said, reaching out his hand. _'Take my courage - use it and you can get through this. Trust me.'_

She reached out her hand again, and though she still couldn't touch him, she kept her fingers together with his. _'Just pretend you're drinking from the Cloud Guardian's enchanted well in Fortress.'_ he said, smiling faintly. Then he vanished.

The feeling of burning was still sweeping over her. She gritted her teeth, her fists clenched while Rueful spread out his paws from Rhonda's backpack, the same blue glow touching him as well. Rhonda thought of Grimm and tried to ignore the pain. _'Must... become... that... which I fear... the most!!'_ she thought, and she threw back her head, screaming at the top of her lungs

Maze flinched, for though he heard the scream, it no longer sounded fearful or pained. Her voice thundered in his ears like the roaring of a bear. The glow around the statue faded, but Rhonda was still shining with a light that seemed like a flame around her. She was standing on the ground again, her fists balled up, her mouth snarling, and her eyes burning with a white glare.

_'Get out of my BF's body!'_ she growled. Then she felt her tongue loosed and heard herself speaking words she didn't understand.

_Omahkkiaayowa, Omahkkiaayowa,  
Nitsiinihkatsimatsiiwa!_

Maze was thunderstruck. To his eyes, only a few seconds had passed. Everything had been going exactly as he planned. Now the power he had felt in the statue was gone, but Rhonda was standing before him, and a power was radiating from her like waves of heat from a bonfire. She stepped forward, and Maze felt a shudder of fear as she passed through the edge of the shadow barrier...

Rhonda wasn't sure what was guiding her, but she felt certain of what she was doing. She raised her hand with another scream that thundered through the hollow, she brought it back down, slashing the air in front of her.

There was an exploding _crack_ like a thunderbolt and five sickles of white light, like the tearing claws of a bear, spread from her fingertips. With a roar like a passing train, the blinding white curves of light sped across the ground, leaving deep gashes in the stone, and slammed into Grimm's body. She heard Maze's voice screaming and saw Grimm stumble and fall sideways, collapsing with a moan at the circle's edge.

And Maze's body was slowly struggling to his elbows. Still disoriented from the change in perspective, shifting from Grimm's awareness back to his own, he cast his eyes around to get his bearings. A bright glow shone in front of him and he cried out, shielding his eyes from the blaze of light, and desperately chanted.

_Sipimottakiksi, Sipimottakiksi,  
Nikaahtomaana nimaataakaniiwa...!_

The shadow barrier surrounded him, but he cringed, throwing up his hands. He saw Rhonda charging towards him, her face livid with anger, her whole form surrounded by a bluish white halo. But behind Rhonda he saw something else. As if through tinted glass, he saw the ghostly form of a beautiful Indian woman. Her expression and her movements were a perfect match to Rhonda's, charging towards him, her face cold and angry.

'_Abish...?'_ Maze whispered, but at that moment, Rhonda brought her hand down in another slashing motion, and Maze heard two distinct voices, crying as one.

_'Spirit strike!!'_

Five sickle-shaped curves of light rushed towards Maze, laughing through his shadow barrier. He cried out in pain, tumbling backwards. He rose to his knees, groaning, and shrank to see Rhonda still coming towards him.

_'Stay away from me!!'_ he shouted, and desperately he turned to Grimm, who was struggling to his feet, shaking his head. Maze concentrated and brought forth what little strength he had taken from the bear monument, casting his arm towards Grimm.

'No!' Rhonda shrieked. A tear of white light issued from Maze's hand, lashing across Grimm's chest. She saw Grimm sailing backwards over the edge of the cliff...

Without thinking, Rhonda leaped after him. She saw him falling, his face not looking afraid, only confused. _'Just like him,'_ she thought. _'Always has to be cucumber-cool...'_ But he was reaching up to her as she reached down to him, the realization of what was happening seeming to dawn on him.

Rhonda then realized herself - they were _both_ plummeting towards the earth from a drop of over five hundred feet and there was nothing between them and the ground. They were both finished. She didn't know what she hoped to accomplish by leaping after him except to show her loyalty by dying with him.

_'I only wanted to save you...'_ she thought, tears running down her face, the cold air chilling them as she fell. Their reaching hands were so far apart, the ground rushing towards them seemed like a blurry dreamscape under the starry sky. Again, she heard herself chanting words that she didn't know, but they flowed from her mouth as if she had used them countless times.

_Omahkkiaayowa, Omahkkiaayowa,  
Nitohpoksiiyikitapiiyi...!_

She was not aware of it happening, but the blue glow flared around her like a star. And suddenly she was level with Grimm, clasping his hand and holding him tightly...

Maze crawled to the edge of the cliff where Grimm and Rhonda had gone over, looking down, and he gripped his staff in stunned amazement. He saw Rhonda catching Grimm and slamming into the ground like a meteor, a shockwave of light spreading out beneath them like ripples in a pond. There was an echoing explosion and the trees around them bent and swayed, the stone of the ground where they had landed crumbled into dust. He rose up, shaking his head in disbelief, and with a last glance at the dark pillar of the bear monument, he shambled down the trail towards the forest.

Rhonda knelt in the crater where she had landed, holding Grimm tightly. She opened her eyes slowly, looking around. The blue light that had surrounded her was gone. She could hear only the roar of the nearby waterfall, a fading echo like thunder, and the hissing sigh of wind in the pines. The smell of freshly turned earth and broken stone was all around her, a cloud of dust settling around them.

'Ow...' she heard Grimm's voice in her ear.

'Grimm!' she shouted, feeling an embarrassing wetness streaming down her cheeks. 'Grimm you're _alive_...!'

'Yeah,' he said softly, sitting up. 'The dead don't ache like this...' Rueful's head popped out of Rhonda's backpack. His eyes were crossed and he looked woozy, but he seemed otherwise all right.

'Are you OK?' she said, checking Grimm hurriedly.

He flexed his feet and hands, and winced. 'Right arm's broke.' he said.

Rhonda stood up, not seeming to notice that she herself was completely unharmed. 'That... _jerk_!' she said, looking back up to the top of the cliff. She started towards the trail.

Grimm was standing up. 'Where are you going?' he said.

Rhonda turned back. 'I'm going back up there and I'm gonna kick his scrawny double-crossing _butt_!!' she said furiously, pointing towards the mountain.

'Forget it.' said Grimm, shaking his head with a wan smile. 'You'd never find him. He's too woodcrafty. Besides, we need to get back to Kwitcherbeliakin and get this arm taken care of. Even a minor injury can be fatal in the wild if you don't tend to them fast. If the worst that happens after taking a header off a five hundred foot cliff is a broken arm, I'll count myself lucky.'

Rhonda was looking at the cliff, and then at the crater, then to Grimm and herself. 'Holy _crud_.' she said, as if just realizing what had happened. 'We just... I mean, we just... The cliff... and the thing with the... and the... and the... whaugh... oooh...'

'I think the word you're searching for is _booyah._' Grimm said, his smirk creeping back into place. 'You just jumped off a cliff without any kind of protection and walked away without a scratch. Way to step up, girlfriend'

Rhonda was staring at her hands, and the mark on her shoulder. She smiled at Grimm, looking at him adoringly. 'I couldn't have done it without you.' she said softly. 'You gave me your courage - that was the only thing that got me through.'

'Yeah, about that.' said Grimm. 'I _didn't_ give you my courage.'

Rhonda's mouth fell open. '_What??'_ she screeched.

Grimm shrugged. 'Courage isn't like an iPod that you can just pass around from person to person.' he said. 'You can't _give_ courage to someone else, you can only inspire someone to use their own.'

Rhonda stammered and sputtered. 'But... you said... that speech about spirit stuff...'

'Duh.' he said. 'I _lied_.' and he was smiling mischievously. 'I had to say _something_ to jump-start you or you'd never have gone through with it.'

'Why... you... _lousy...!_' she said, punching his arm.

'Ow!' he said. 'Not _that _arm!'

She gasped. 'Oh, sorry.' she said.

'I guess this means I'll have to pay more attention to you from now on.' he said with a soft laugh. 'You were right when you said this place was trouble.'

Rhonda paused, looking at him. 'What did you say?'

Grimm sighed. 'I said - _you were right_.' he answered, looking resigned.

Rhonda looked excited and tapped her backpack. 'Rueful - Rueful!' she squealed, 'It's time to do the "Rhonda-Was-Right" dance!!'

Rueful leaped out of her pack with a chittering squeal and stood beside her, both of them doing a synchronized series of taunting steps. 'I was ri-ight! I was ri-ight!' she chanted while Grimm rolled his eyes and watched. 'Oh yeah! Oh yeah! It's mah birthday - I was ri-ght! Uh-huh! Uh-huh! Uh-huh-uh-huh-uh-_huh_!!'

'Do you have any idea how cute you are when you do that?' Grimm said. Rhonda lost her rhythm at those words, blushing from head to toe.

As they walked, Grimm made himself a makeshift sling out of Maze's vest, gingerly using his other arm to take out the communicator and check their location. 'That fall off the cliff actually gave us some good distance.' he said, 'We're not too far from one of the main trails leading back to camp.'

'Never thought I'd be _glad _to be going back there...' she said quietly, straightening her hair. It was then that Grimm noticed that tied behind her left ear were two eagle feathers, which looked pale in the darkness around them.

'Where did _those_ come from?' he said, gesturing with his good hand.

Rhonda hadn't noticed them either, reaching up and feeling them trailing down behind her ear and mingling into her hair. 'Beats me,' she said, looking nervously at Grimm. 'I can ditch them if you don't like...'

Grimm's hand wisped across her cheek, tracing her ear where the feathers hung down. Rhonda shuddered, tingles running down her spine at his touch. He was looking at her, his face smiling faintly.

'Keep it.' he said. 'It does something for you.'

Coming Soon:

Chapter 7

Epilogue: Aw, natural

_Author: A very special thank you goes to the Native American Languages website and the resident webmaster Laura Redish and her associates for their unmatched assistance in making the Blackfoot chants which were used for both Maze and for Rhonda. I have not put translations for these chants here - but as my cunning way of getting you to visit their site, to explore it, and to see just how great it is, I hope to place a link to their site's FAQ in chapter 7. Then the translations may be placed there for you to explore and find. The languages and the site itself are treasures well worth the trouble to explore... And Team Probable's experience at Kwitcherbeliakin isn't over just yet..._

_To reach the Native American Languages website links from (whch for some reason doesn't 'show' web link in text), visit the author's HOMEPAGE link by clicking on his name "Slyrr" and then the homepage link to find the illustrated version of the story, and the pertinent links at the end of chapter 6 among the author notes..._

_Rhonda Fatigable: Katasistsikoowa - (Kah-tah-sist-sih-koh-wah) 'Never Gets Tired'.  
Grimm Probable: Otaatoyiwa - (Oh-tah-ah-to-yi-wah) 'Cunning Fox'.  
Gentle Paw: Ikkinikinsstiwa - (ick-kih-nih-kinse-stih-wah) 'Gentle Paw'.  
Maze: Sskipoyiwa - (Sis-key-poh-yi-wah) 'Stands in Darkness'_


	7. Epilogue: Aw, Natural

Chapter 7

Epilogue: Aw, Natural

(Kim Possible is copyrighted by Disney, et. al)

Jade let out a tinny breath of amazement through the speaker in Grimm's communicator. 'Woah.' she said. 'So Kwitcherbeliakin really _did_ turn out to be dangerous. Who'd have thought that Rhonda had a _point_?'

Grimm nodded, adjusting his arm in its sling with a wince. He was sitting alone in the camp's infirmary cabin. Sakituya had gone to fetch some special medicine. Rhonda had stayed for some of his treatment but when Sakituya had set his arm, she turned green and stumbled back outside. They had hiked through the night, reaching the camp just after dawn. Despite the early hour, Sakituya was there within moments of their arrival, as if he had been expecting them, or watching for them.

'She's been full of surprises on this trip.' Grimm said.

'Yeah.' said Jade. 'A Bear Priestess you say? I kinda get the strength and invulnerability - but what did the 'spirit strike' do?'

Grimm shook his head. 'I'm not sure,' he said. 'Whatever it was, it tore up the ground where it hit, but it didn't injure me - or Maze.'

'So it damages objects, but not flesh?' said Jade, typing on her keyboard. 'Did it do _anything_ to you?'

Grimm thought. 'Thing is, I was drugged _and _possessed at the time - but I remember it hurt like blazes. And I felt totally drained for some time afterwards - Rhonda had to help me walk back to camp...'

Jade whistled. 'Can't wait to get a sensor on _that_ package...'

'And I'll want to keep a close eye on it.' said Grimm. 'We need to train her until she can tap into this power _at will - _no matter what it takes. Dredge up every bit of research you can on Blackfoot mythology and the Great Bear. Rhonda's gonna get a whole _new_ training regimen - and we're gonna be able to charge more premium prices. Wait 'till the villains of the world learn they could have the Bear Priestess working for them.'

Jade grinned. 'On a related note,' she said. 'Looks like you've hit the big time. I caught a report out of Go City. You remember that job you pulled for Electronique? Turns out she wanted the components to work her mojo on an _Attitudinator_.'

Grimm stared. 'You mean she...'

Jade nodded. 'Uh-huh. She pulled a 'mini-Mega Synaptic Transducer' on Team Go. Ron even got caught up in it - but just for a few minutes.'

'So great minds _do_ think alike...' said Grimm, smiling.

'Or smaller minds rip off from the bigger ones.' said Jade.

Grimm shook his head. 'Electronique had me deliver the components _before_ we launched our scheme in Middleton. The web forums are gonna be arguing for months about who ripped off from who.'

Grimm shut off the communicator as Sakituya came back into the cabin with a cup full of what smelled like herbal tea. 'Drink this,' he said, handing the cup to Grimm. 'It will speed the healing process.' As Grimm grimaced and drank the bitter-tasting concoction, Sakituya checked his sling and the splint. 'You were most fortunate, Grimm Probable. I am somewhat trained in treating field injuries. The break was clean and has set well. But you should still have it properly checked and a cast set when you return to your home.'

Grimm nodded, looking quietly at the Indian Chief. 'There is... something you wish to say?' said Sakituya, who was putting bandages and gauze back into their drawers and cupboards.

Grimm frowned slightly. 'Maze said that you and he disagreed on issues of... _power_ and how it should be used.' he said. 'You knew - didn't you? You knew what was out there waiting for us, and what Maze was prepared to do to get it.'

Sakituya lowered his head and sighed. 'I knew that Maze had become darker in his ambitions.' he said. 'His shadow-medicine is an ancient art, and has not been practiced for many ages. It was long thought lost, but I could sense it within him from the day he began to study it, like a black spot on a clear window. I knew also that _Katasistsikoowa_ was destined to be a chosen one of the Great Bear Spirit, and that the hollow she described was important.'

Grimm scowled. 'And you didn't think to warn us about any of it?'

Sakituya smiled. 'Would you have believed me?'

'No.' said Grimm flatly. 'But we might have been more careful.'

'And both of you might have acted differently, and things might have been better - or perhaps worse. Who can say?'

Grimm had no answer to that. Sakituya sighed again and turned away. 'After Rhonda left the camp when she was a child, I saw that I was wrong to meddle with the path the Great Bear had laid before her - even as gentle as I thought my efforts were.' He looked out the window, where Rhonda stood in a clearing before the main hall. 'I knew that she would return one day - and I promised myself that when it happened I would _not_ interfere, that I would let the Great Bear to draw her to him in his own way.' He turned back to Grimm, looking at his injured arm. 'I am sorry for the pains you have both suffered. But as it stands, no lasting harm was done - and much has been gained I think.'

Grimm looked keenly at him. 'You knew Rhonda was a 'chosen one'. Chosen for_ what_? What else are you hiding from us?'

Sakituya shook his head. 'You want specifics of future events when only generalities are sure. When the horizon becomes dark on a clear day, you know that a storm is coming, but cannot tell its precise strength or its exact path.'

Grimm's eyes narrowed. 'You're saying - a storm is coming?'

Sakituya's face remained impassive. 'I can only say - there is darkness on the horizon.'

Rhonda looked up as Grimm and Chief Sakituya exited the medical cabin. Grimm's arm was bandaged and splinted, but he seemed fine, except for a curious gleam in his eye as he looked at her. Sakituya carried the earthenware cup of his herbal medicine back towards his cabin, glancing at them before turning the corner.

'We all done?' she said, hopefully. 'Can we finally blow this popsicle stand?'

Grimm smiled. 'You don't want to kick back and relax for a while?' he said, 'You aren't any better disposed towards Kwitcherbeliakin?'

'Well gee,' said Rhonda, in a posture of mock contemplation, 'We got saddled with a jerk who tried to kill us, I had the snot scared out of me by a giant bear, and we wound up taking the short route down a five hundred foot cliff. Yeah, I guess I _should_ feel better about this camp after all that.'

'You're as cute as Pollyanna, but you don't think like her at all.' said Grimm. 'Upside: we completed the mission, so the payment is ours fair and square; you clobbered the jerk who tried to kill us, none of us died, and the giant bear gave you what could only be described as super powers.'

'They're not _powers_ like that,' said Rhonda. 'They aren't _on_ all the time - they kinda come and go...'

'Even so, you could be our new ace-in-the-hole - even beyond the 'Rhonda Factor' that Gemini wanted to study. Possible and her crew are gonna be in for the surprise of their lives the next time we cross paths.'

Rhonda shrugged. 'Aren't we still just kinda... _even-ish_?' she said. 'I mean, Ron's still got that Monkey Power dealy-o. I thought you said you were worried about Kim training Ron on how to use it.'

Grimm looked at her, and she saw the familiar smirk that she knew and loved. 'That was before.' he said. 'I've had time to think about it since then. Ron has had Mystical Monkey Power for years. If Possible was going to push Ron to use it, she'd have done it already. But she hasn't. That means, for whatever reason, she _doesn't_ want him to use it. And _that_ means - it'll be advantage Probable across the board.'

Rhonda shrugged. 'Not sure how...' she said, feeling nervous. Grimm was actually looking excited.

'I think Possible is too scared or vain to let Ron use his full strength.' he said. 'But I'm not afraid of letting you use yours. We'll find a way to help you tap into it. And when we do, _you_ could be the rising star of the team.'

At that moment, Sakituya returned from his cabin and Grimm motioned her to silence. Together, they went to the storage shed which Grimm unlocked with his left hand somewhat awkwardly. The bike was there waiting for them and Grimm tapped a sequence of numbers on a keypad on the dashboard. The rear trunk opened with a _hiss_ and the computerized female voice sounded dully in the stuffy air.

_'Rear cargo hold disengaged - welcome back, Grimm Probable.'_

Rhonda rolled her eyes, wondering why it was that whenever a guy gave a computer a female voice, they always made it British - as if female computer geeks were all foreign supermodels or something.

Grimm took out the case full of money, laid it on a wooden workbench and opened it. 'Chances are Maze followed us back and he'll come here after we've left.' he said, turning to Sakituya. 'Tell him we hope he enjoys his statue - and _not_ to call us again.' Rhonda stared in surprise as he took out his communicator. It beeped and Jade popped up on the screen. 'Jade - do we have a list of clients who are banned?'

Jade looked just as surprised as Rhonda. 'Banned?' she said. 'You've never refused a client - the website motto is 'Just pay enough money and we can do anything.'

'So is that yes or no?'

'Uh... no.' she said.

'Start one.' he said firmly. 'Put Maze on it. And add a disclaimer to the website - if you try to kill us, the deal's off.'

Jade nodded. 'O... K...' she said, then blipped off the screen.

Grimm pushed the case towards Sakituya. 'Our usual SOP is that if a client is ever dissatisfied, we give the money back. It's never happened before, and technically we're dissatisfied with _him_. So feel free to take as much as you want. Consider it a thank you for the medical treatment and a penny for your thoughts.'

Sakituya shook his head, smiling. 'That is most generous, but this money was made through the sale of artifacts which are precious to our people. To use it for the enrichment of this camp would be wrong.'

Grimm nodded. 'Then it would also be wrong if you didn't use it to buy the artifacts _back_.'

Sakituya raised an eyebrow, pausing in mid-breath. Then he smiled. 'That, I cannot deny.'

They began pushing the bike outside of the cabin into the brighter, fresher air of the camp. Rhonda looked towards the camp entrance. 'You really think that two-faced skunk will come back here?' she said.

Chief Sakituya shook his head. 'I doubt that very much. Right now he is defeated and shamed. You may not know this,' he said, smiling and looking sidelong at Rhonda, 'But among our people it is considered a great humiliation to get beat up by a _girl_.'

Grimm smirked as they pushed the bike out of the cabin. 'We're not all that different...' He unhooked the key to the cabin from his key chain and tossed it into Sakituya's hand. He paused for a moment, and then with a smirk, he threw the keys for the bike to him as well.

'A gesture of good faith.' he said. 'I trust you to return it when you're finished.'

Sakituya looked at the keys, then at the bike, and a slow smile spread across his lips.

'_Whooooyaaaaaaaaaaaa!!'_

Grimm and Rhonda stood by the lakeside watching as Sakituya, sitting astride the bike, soared above the camp, skimmed over the surface of the water, and weaved in and out among the taller trees. Considering Sakituya's simple and modest life, Grimm was surprised by how quickly he had learned and taken to the controls on the bike. He was flying it with daring and skill, and seemed to almost intuitively grasp its speed and maneuvering, filling the air with his musical Indian shouts.

'Hey, he's doing barrel rolls!' Rhonda said, staring up at the tiny dot across the lake which swooped and banked this way and that. 'I thought you said Jade told us _not_ to...'

Grimm shrugged. 'I warned him.' he said. 'But it looks like it wasn't necessary. The bike's handling them great. Who knew the old guy was such a flyer? Jade's gonna be set for cake all year.' Grimm looked aside. He saw Gentle Paw's hulking body sitting next to Rhonda, and she wasn't screaming. He thought that maybe she hadn't noticed him, but he looked in surprise as Rhonda absent-mindedly reached out a hand and scratched the grizzly behind his ears. Rueful grinned nervously up at Gentle Paw and waved. Gentle Paw snorted and looked out over the lake, seeming like he was ready to plunge into the water and swim out after Sakituya, but as Rhonda's hands continued to massage his ears, he relaxed and let out a contented growl.

'Now loop-the-loops?' Rhonda said. 'Jeez, he's gonna do all the cool tricks on that thing before _we_ can!'

At last, the bike lowered from high above, soaring down smoothly to land by the docks. Sakituya stepped off, a grin of almost boyish delight on his face as he handed the keys back to Grimm.

'That was a great gift, young Grimm.' he said. 'To give an old man the chance to soar like an eagle - to see the beauty of this world laid out beneath me from the skies - I have rarely felt such wonder! A great gift indeed.' He smiled mischievously. 'Plus, I'm sure I looked cool.'

Grimm let out one soft chuckle. 'They don't come any cooler than you, Chief.' he said.

Sakituya ran his hand across the bike's windshield. 'I may have dismissed technology too easily.' he said. 'Just as you once dismissed nature - only to find through this journey that it holds greater power than you can comprehend.'

'About that...' said Grimm, his expression fading. 'You know this hasn't changed us.' he paused, as Sakituya looked him steadily in the eyes. 'You _do _know what we are, I'm guessing.' he continued. 'When we go back, that stays the same - with or without any _storms_.'

Sakituya smiled faintly. 'I have heard that _change_ is the only thing in this life that remains constant, _Otaatoyiwa_.' he said. 'I see a gleam in your eyes when you consider the prospects of what it means to have the Bear Priestess as your ally. You wish to train her - for your own reasons.' He shrugged, looking out over the lake. 'I gave this warning to Maze, and I now offer it to you. The power of the Great Bear is not to be _used_. The Great Bear is the one who works through _us_. In time, you will come to see it.' Grimm said nothing, and Sakituya smiled. 'I can sense even now, after all you have seen, that you still do not truly believe in the Great Bear.' he said. 'That also may change. Already there are great changes coming. The proof is right before you.' He said, gesturing to Rhonda, who sat on the sawed stump of a tree shaking her head in exasperation as Gentle Paw licked her cheek like a puppy.

'Will you _please_ call him off?' she said. Then she turned to Gentle Paw, pushing his head away gently. 'Listen pal, I swear I _don't_ taste like berries...'

Sakituya smiled. _'Pal.'_ he thought. _'Well - it is similar to 'friend'. And that is a start.'_

Soon after, Grimm and Rhonda returned to the bike and stowed their gear. Grimm had left his backpack on the mountain, but he didn't seem concerned about it, saying all the important gear had been in his hip pouch and the pack contained only the food and a change of clothes. Rhonda did note that Grimm had put Maze's vest and his bag of powders in the back trunk, but he didn't say why he was keeping them.

'So with your arm broke, how are we gonna get back?' said Rhonda.

Grimm shrugged. 'Duh.' he said. 'You're flying.'

Rhonda looked nervous at once, but also excited. 'Me?' she said. 'Pilot? No fooling?'

Grimm smirked. 'No fooling.'

'And you're not worried I'll crash it?'

Grimm shook his head. 'I'm worried - but I trust you.'

A strange look came over Rhonda's face. 'I want to change the name.' she said.

'What?'

'I want to change the name of the bike.' she said. 'Testoster-1; I mean, I get it, but there are too many lame-brains out there who are gonna think it's some kind of 'compensation' thing.'

Grimm frowned a little. He'd put a lot of work into coming up with the pun. 'But...' he said.

Rhonda put up a pouty face. 'Come on...' she said. 'I'm the pilot now. You said the naming was pilot's privilege...'

Grimm sighed. 'Don't _quote_ me, Rhonda. You'd name it something girly like 'flowerchild'...'

Rhonda sputtered, for that was the exact name she had been thinking of.

Sakituya smiled. 'Why not _ksikkihkíni_ - the eagle?'

Grimm and Rhonda stared at him. Grimm raised an eyebrow, his mouth opened as if to speak, but he was quiet for a few seconds. Finally he shrugged. 'Well, I was all set to argue, but that sounds pretty cool.' he said.

The _Ksikkihkini_ rose up and Rhonda fidgeted nervously behind the handlebars. Kamp Kwitcherbeliakin soon lay beneath them, growing smaller to the eye. Rhonda turned and waved down at Sakituya, who stood next to the main hall waving back at them, with Gentle Paw standing on his hind legs and waving one massive paw.

'Easy.' said Grimm. 'The trip home isn't a race. And remember those handles control yaw and pitch. You don't want to mess with those until you've got the rest down...'

Rhonda gritted her teeth, then hit the accelerator, and they shot across the forest roof.

Sakituya watched as they vanished into the distance. Gentle Paw sank back down on all fours, a mournful growl sounding in his throat. The Indian Chief scratched his broad back consolingly. 'Do not worry _Ikkinikinsstiwa_.' he said. 'They will be back. This was only the beginning...'

Rhonda didn't try any stunts, and focused with all her might on keeping the bike level and flying straight according to the GPS display panel. But she did see another button with a musical note logo above it.

'How 'bout a little traveling music?' she said.

Grimm was holding her with his good arm and sniffed slightly. 'All right, but nothing _girly_.' he said, his voice raised over the wind that howled around them as they flew.

Rhonda scrolled through the list of songs available and one caught her eye. The speakers pounded with drums and an electric guitar reached a crescendo before launching into a grating but skillful rhythm. And as the song began in earnest, she raised her voice and sang as they soared through the clouds.

_Something evil's watching over you!  
Coming from the sky above -  
and there's nothing you can do!_

And Grimm laughed briefly before holding her tighter and joining in.

_Prepare to strike, there'll be no place to run...!  
They'll be caught within the grip  
of the evil you have done!_

Far away, in the city of Middleton, Kim Possible sat in a swinging bench on the porch at Ron Stoppable's house. She was cuddled up in his arms and her head was laid against his shoulder. She felt comfortable, and at peace. All the troubles and issues in her life weren't gone - but as she relaxed in Ron's embrace, they all felt very far away.

Suddenly, she felt Ron's whole body quivering and he sat up straight with a shuddering squeal. 'Ron?' she said. 'Are you OK?'

Ron was looking off into space. 'I... donno KP.' he said. 'I think I just felt... _heebies_.'

Kim looked at him curiously. 'Were there any_ jeebies_?' she asked.

Ron paused. 'A few, yeah.' he said.

Kim shrugged. 'And the reason for the jeebie-ness?'

Ron shook his head. 'I... uh... um...' he stammered lamely.

Kim smiled, relaxing herself back into his shoulder. 'Maybe _this_ has something to do your spinal shivers...' she crooned, letting her hand trace one slow, lazy finger across his jaw line.

Ron bit his lip. He didn't want to disturb her any more. But he raised his fingertips from Kim's shoulder, waving them in the cool night air - and felt a definite pricking sensation in his thumb...

The hollow where the Bear monument stood was empty and silent. All was dark and still when a tall, skeletally thin man stepped forth from the shadows. Maze walked slowly to the monument and cast himself down before it, bowed on his hands and knees.

'Forgive me, Great Bear Spirit.' he said, shaking his head. 'I failed you. I have failed the Blackfoot. Your power was stolen by those who are unworthy - but I swear to you, I will never rest until I find a way to reclaim your power and free you from the taint of the pale-faces...'

He gasped as a blue light glowed around him. He bowed lower as he heard a deep, rumbling voice. 'Maze.' the voice of the Great Bear quaked around him. 'My power cannot be stolen. To think so would be to believe that I can be tricked or robbed like a mortal man. Is that what you believe?'

Maze shook his head. 'No, Great One... I meant only...'

'_Katasistsikoowa_ is the proper heir to this power.' said the Great Bear. 'You looked on her with evil purpose, but through her, forces have been set in motion that will save this world - not just for the Blackfoot, but for all. The redemption of which you dreamed will come to pass Maze - but your dreams of revenge and punishment are false. All will happen in due time and in proper course.'

Maze looked up at the monument, his hand curled tight around his staff. 'But.. she is not one of _us_...' he said heavily.

The Great Bear seemed to sigh. 'Listen to me _Sskipoyiwa_ - I spare you these words for your betterment. Forsake your pride and your hate. They poison you and lead you to rob yourself of true happiness. You have become only what you sought to become - a creature of darkness. But it is not too late to turn to the light. The Bear Priestess will need help and guidance on her journey. You can use your talent and your strengths and you can also be a great tool in the hand of destiny. Be a friend to her - and thus be my friend as well. What I offer now is a great honor. Do not seek to twist my words to your own advantage. There can be only one heir to my power.'

And the light faded, leaving Maze kneeling before the monument. He gripped his staff, staring at the ground, his eyes still dark and cold. At last he rose up, and his face hardened.

'I understand, Great Bear Spirit.' he said, and he went to the edge of the cliff, looking down at the crater where he had seen Rhonda plummet to the earth. 'There will be... only _one_.' Then he turned and strode away into the night.

The End

_Coming Next:_

_Are Friends Just Enemies Who Don't Have The Guts To Kill You?_

_Author: A final thank you goes to the Native American Languages website for making the last chapters possible. A google search for "Native American Languages" will bring up their site, and links can also be found on my author's 'homepage' link among the text at the beginning and end of chapter 7._

_With the final season of Kim Possible ending, it's up to the fans to continue it's legacy of excellent stories, goofy humor and teen angst. This story was fun to write, but there was a reason for it. As Bill Cosby once said, "I told you that story so I could tell you this one." _

_The question of what power Rhonda has to match Ron's Mystical Monkey Power is now answered, and thus brings up a new question - what will happen when the two collide?_

_There's a storm coming that will rock the KP world to it's very core. But before Kim and Ron will be ready to face it, there's another trial they must go through…_

"_All Things Probable 3" (working title in progress) will follow an established pattern in comics and animated series when a new villain shows up. The first episode introduces the villain. In the second episode, the villain establishes himself as a legitimate and consistent threat. Then after that, there's usually a third story, in which the hero and the villain are forced by necessity to join forces... Keep a lookout, it should be excellent!_


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